Katwa blast: CID’s Bomb Disposal Squad defuse 38 bombs recovered from rubble

The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) of state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has defused 38 bombs, which were taken off from the rubble at Burdwan’s Katwa, in Sribati village. The investigators arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in the case.

It will be recalled that an elderly person was killed when “a huge quantity” of bombs stored inside a club exploded on Monday at Katwa in Burdwan. Police suspect that some CPI(M) leaders had stored the bombs in the club with to create trouble during the forthcoming by-election at Monteswar. National Investigation Agency (NIA) contacted the state police seeking information about the incident.

Moti Mondal, one of the accused persons, who was arrested, reportedly divulged some important information to the investigators. The investigators are now confirmed that the makers of those ‘socket’ bomb where brought from other states. The huge cache of those explosives was stocked before the Assembly by-election. Those explosives may later be delivered to extremist organisations.

The incident led to panic in the area as the entire one-room club at Sribati village collapsed due to the explosion. The intensity of the explosion was so high that windows and doors of the club room were found at a distance of around 20 feet – a grim reminder of Khagragarh incident where the blast took place in a residence.

A source said that Mondal, treasurer of that local club named seven club members who were involved in the case. The investigators learnt organisation like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh uses such explosives.

Meanwhile, the state CID bomb squad who deactivated those bombs allegedly took a primeval process in which the risk of explosion prevailed. But they successfully managed to defuse those bombs on Tuesday.

It should also be recalled that police came to know after speaking to the local people that the explosion took place at around 5 am on Monday. The victim Lalu Sheikh is a local resident and he used to go for morning walk every day.

Like every other day he went out for a morning walk on Monday morning as well. The explosion took place when he was sitting on a bench just outside the club. The entire club collapsed with the explosion and a wall fell on him.

He cried for help. But there was no one near him at that moment to rescue him. Villagers gathered in the area a few minute later and found him lying in an unconscious state under the debris. They rescued him and took him to Katwa Hospital where he was declared brought dead.