Crude bombs were found at Birbhum district's Nanoor on Sunday morning. Some workers of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) found these bombs at Bhasamath village in Nanoor while they were digging the ground. The workers soon informed the matter to the local panchayat members who later called up the police.
This is the third such incident where crude bombs were found in the area. Birbhum district police stepped up their efforts to capture illegal arms and ammunition after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a stern warning last Monday at the District Review Meeting to enhance vigilance and check bomb manufacturing, particularly in sensitive areas. Explosions related to the manufacturing of crude bombs have taken place in many of these areas in recent times.
The district police recently seized four containers full of crude bombs at Kankartala and one of the prime accused of the arms racket, Sheikh Yaar Mohammad Khan was arrested.
N Sudheer Kumar, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Birbhum district had earlier indicated, while talking to Millennium Post, that the raids would continue.
On Sunday, policemen rushed to the spot after being informed about the discovery of the crude bombs.
"The MGNREGS workers found some containers buried in the ground while they were digging. One of the workers opened a container and saw crude bombs inside it," said a police officer.
The investigators suspect that some local anti-socials had kept those crude bombs there. "We have temporarily stopped the excavation work there. Policemen are searching the area to ascertain if there are more such containers of crude bombs buried in the locality," the officer said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently asked Birbhum Police to shut down all "arms and bomb-making units" in the district. During an administrative meeting in Birbhum, she directed police officials to recover bombs and arms so that law and order can be maintained. "Shut down all bomb factories, recover all illegal arms. We will not allow anybody to create trouble forcibly. The police will take strong action," Mamata said.
"The local villagers are helping us to reach the areas where the bombs were hidden," the officer added.