IED 'planted' near Ghazipur market defused promptly

New Delhi: Twelve days before Republic Day, a 3-kg improvised explosive device (IED) with RDX and ammonium nitrate, "aimed at causing maximum damage" was reported to be planted at the busy Ghazipur Flower Market here, which was promptly attended to by the Delhi Police and National Security Guard (NSG) and defused in a controlled explosion. The crude bomb was d iscovered inside an attendee's black backpack, inside an iron box, and was first reported to the authorities by a person who had parked his scooter at the main gate, near where the device was found.

Officers of the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrived promptly at the scene and blocked access to the market as the bomb disposal squad tackled the explosive. Later, the National Security Guard (NSG) was informed by the Delhi Police. "After receiving the call, a fire tender was sent to the spot and police officials also arrived. Officers found that it was an iron box, and they also called the NSG's bomb disposal squad," a police official said.

Later, in the afternoon, a team from the NSG defused the bomb in a controlled explosion, which was carried out in an eight-foot-deep pit dug out for this purpose. Locals in the area bordering Uttar Pradesh said they heard the sound of a loud blast and saw smoke rising near the market when the controlled explosion was triggered by the bomb disposal squad.

While the Special Cell has already registered a case and is probing the matter, a senior police officer said that the incident indicates the extent of damage that could have been caused in the Capital ahead of Republic Day.

The police are checking CCTV footage from cameras installed around the market and the adjacent areas to identify the people who planted the device. Significantly, the NSG D-G, MA Ganapathy, said, "The explosive prima facie looks to be a mix of RDX and ammonium nitrate. It was about 3 kgs in weight and there was some shrapnel embedded in it."

The city police officials investigating the matter suspect that a proper recce was done before planting the IED outside the main gate of the Ghazipur Flower Market. "We suspect there was a timer placed inside the bomb. The investigation is still underway to ascertain who and how the bomb was placed," a senior police official told Millennium Post.

When contacted, Deepa Verma, Director of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Rohini, said that two teams including senior experts of FSL were sent to the spot for inspection and collection of exhibits, officials said.