Huge amount of explosives seized from Siliguri, three held

Large cache of explosives – 609 pieces of gelatin sticks, 200 detonators of RDX and codex wires of 630 metre were seized along with the arrest of three people including a woman in Siliguri’s Dagapur Savin Kingdom.

The investigators arrested a Nepalese couple – Daoya Tshering Bhutia alias Daoya Bhutia and Puja Limbu, another Nepalese national and Krishna Prasad Adhikari – three daily wagers who worked in a coal mine in Shillong.

The incident is bringing back the memories of Khagragarh where explosives were seized from a rented house where the couple lived.

Sleuths did not rule out connection with terrorist organisations and further probe is on.

The people who were booked were produced in a local court.

Acting on a tip-off, the investigators on Saturday night raided the rented house of Dawa Tshering Bhutia and recovered those materials.

CS Lepcha, the Commissioner of Siliguri Police said: “Dawa Tshering Bhutia who also goes by another name Dawa Gurung (50), his wife Puja Limboo (35) and Krishan Prasad Adhikari all from Nepal have been arrested.” Though Lepcha did not disclose whether they have any link with militant and terrorist organisations, she said the arrested persons were working in a coal mine at Shillong in Meghalaya before they came to Siliguri about six months back.

However, the sleuths were stunned by the fact the Research Department Explosive (RDX) was seized.

The seizure of such a large number of gelatin sticks and detonators came in the wake of intelligence reports that terrorists might strike in and around Siliguri located in close proximity with countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Police said Dawa and his wife Puja were running a fast food shop near Darjeeling More while Krishna Prasad was working as a security guard.

Police Commissioner said that the trio would be produced in a local court here and Police would seek their police remand for further interrogation.

Khagragarh blast which took place in Burdwan on October 2, 2014 blew the lid of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) network, apart from indoctrination centres and arms making hub in Bengal. Couples with children were using a rented apartment in the area as a bomb making factory.

Meanwhile, the investigator suspected some Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters in connection with the case. A GJM member, Bijoy Thurung was arrested by the police recently doubting the anti-national activities as well. The source claimed that these Nepalese nationals were arrested after getting information from Bijoy. Those explosives were supposed to be sent in some states of North-east India.

A bagful of bombs were found at Murshidabad’s Dakbungalow, under the jurisdiction of Boroya Police Station. No person has been arrested yet.