Bomb scare in Bengaluru: Grenade-like object found at railway station,is dummy probe launched: MB Patil Home Minister

PRAMESH S JAIN

A bomb scare at Krantiveera sangolli Rayanna railway station in Bengaluru on Friday morning after a suspicious object was found at the railway line of platform 1 and 2 was found.Police and bomb disposal squad reached the spot and handled the situation safely.

A round metallic object suspected to be a hand grenade, was found near a railway track inside the city railway station Friday, sending security personnel into a tizzy and leading to panic among travellers.

As soon as the railway security control room reported that a round metallic object was found near the Railway line on platform number 1, the Railway Protection Force and senior railway officials swung into action and cordoned off the area.

Panic prevailed at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station until the bomb disposal squad arrived and took possession of the object.

The stationed Sangamitra Express train number 12295,from Bengaluru to Patna Dhanapur was also searched, but nothing was found.However, a beep sound emanating from one of the bogies led to a scare,which was later found to be a malfunctioning CCTV camera.

The train was checked fully by the police and RPF police personnel and bomb disposal squad and train left the platform at around 11:13 am which was supposed to depart at 9am but was delayed as there was a beep sound coming from one of the bogies.

The object was found at 0845 hrs by the Railway Security Control near trolley path on platform number one and two.

A police constable,attached to KSISF force deployed at RBI identified as Krishna, was the first person to spot the suspected grenade casing around 8:30am, and he alerted railway authorities. He had returned to the city from Maddur in Mandya district.

KSR Railway station in Majestic at the city centre is the busiest railway station in the city with a daily footfall of about 2 lakh passengers.

After thoroughly searching the trains and premises,operations have been restored fully.

E Vijaya,Chief Public Relations Officer of South Western Railways in a release said at 8:45 am, the Railway Security Control reported that a hand grenade was spotted at KSR Bengaluru Station near trolley path on platform no 1.Railway Protection Force immediately swung into action.The area was cordoned off.Senior railway officers including Divisional Railway Manager (Bengaluru) have reached the spot. Divisional Security Commissioner led the team of Railway security force to thoroughly search the entire premises, including the trains Train movement except of Platform no.1 and 2 was normal. Granade Handed over to Bomb Disposal Squad at 9.55 hrs.After through checking, trains on platform no.1 and 2 also were dealt.Normal operations restored fully.

Railway workforce has been put on alert.

Intensive checks at entrance,platforms , train coaches and at parcel office are being conducted she added.

Alok Mohan,ADGP,Railways told media persons after inspecting the spot along with,DRM,Senior DCM,Senior Divisional Commissioner of Railway Protection Force,Ms.Debasmita Chattopadhyay Banerjee,with SP,Railways,Bheemashankar Guled,DCP,West Ravi.D.Chennanavar with the ACP, Mahanth reddy,PIs,as,Kumaraswamy.B.G,Mallur, Lakshminarayana Prasad,with other staff rushed to the spot and he said In the morning today when our people were doing the patrolling one of the railway employee found a metal object lying near the railway line.So he immediately informed the railway police,and the GRPF and RPF they came there and they have seen the object they got the bomb disposal squad as we do not want to take any chance we removed the object from the place and we are investigating what exactly is that object.When reporters asked does the metal object looks like Grenade,Alok Mohan said it is a round object we have to see whether it is a metal or whether it is a plastic material since the bomb disposal squad people they have come and they are doing the investigation.So we will see what exactly the material is and there is no threat to any place in the platforms we have checked already the train fully and the train is leaving also and there was beeping sound coming from the train which was also been checked so that sound is found to be malfunctioning of CCTV.In Sangamithra express which leaves from Bengaluru to Patna Dhanapur in one of the bogie there was a beeping sound coming which is during investigations it is found that it is due to malfunctioning of CCTV which is put inside the train by the railway authorities and the metal object was found on the outside not on the track on the side of the track it was found.He lastly said both are separate incident it is matter of chance that we also found beep beep sound coming into one of the boogies of the train that has been checked for the precautionary measures and the train is leaving now there will be a criminal case registered and investigation will be taken up by all the agencies as RPF,GRPF,City Police,ISD,and the intelligence everybody are trying to verify what will be the reason for it he added.

Senior officer of Railways,told media persons,that around 8:30 am a constable by name Krishna,attached to Karnataka state industrial security force who is deployed at RBI and while returning from Maddur he was passing towards platform number 1 through railway line while coming he noticed a some suspicious  object lying near the Railway line outside the track he immediately informed the RPF,GRPF,as soon as the information was passed to RPF security control and railway control all the officers and staff swung into action and rushed to the spot and they all cordoned or evacuated the place and immediately the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dog too rushed to the spot and cordoned the area,ADGP Railways,Alok Mohan,Senior Divisional security commissioner,Ms.Debasmita Chattopadhyay Banerjee,with DCP,West,Ravi.D Channanavar with his ACP and Police inspectors rushed to spot and without any inconvenience to passengers the senior Divisional security commissioner of RPF handled the situation very safely without any panic she handled the situation very confidentially and removed the suspicious object to the isolated place or else it would been a tense situation as passengers would be panic and which may result in mass stampede would have taken place the security commissioner and their team cordoned off the area and after the bomb disposal squad arrived they took the metal object to the isolated place after checking it we got to know it is not a explosive device.Entire Railway Station squad were sanitised we have formed totally 8 team headed by,SP Railways,Bheemashankar Guled,he even said CCTV cameras apparently at the place where the object found the CCTV cameras were not working.Our immediate attention was to secure the area and safety of passengers.It is not a grenade nor it can be converted into explosive.RPF and railways authorities not reacted on our proposal to tighten the security and we have asked them to close the 8 unauthorized entries which we have identified and we have requested the raiway authorities to provide, scanners,such as,Parcel entry scanner required.Baggage scanner.Baggage scanner at both the entries one is there we want three more.Cum-sum entries and 150 new CCTV cameras required.RPF carries the primary responsible we are here only to investigate to secure the area we are writing a letter to the concerned authorities under the chairmanship of DG madam we are about to implement a Committee and meeting with all authorities to tighten the security system with Fire department and we have RPF 100 and 100 GRPF staff will be stationed daily on the entire stretch of platforms and technical intervention is required.Dog squad and anti sabotage are from local police Station 4 teams were pressed into action.We check daily twice  the entire stretch of railway station and the object is iron object.Neither there is numbers mentioned in it nor there is gun powder or any explosive material found in it.Nearly 70 CCTV cameras are installed about 26 are functioning and rest are not working in S2 coach of the train CCTV cameras was not working as there was a beep beep sound was coming this situation was handled very safely again by the RPF senior divisional security commissioner,Debasmita Chatropadhaya Banerjee with other agencies they told the passengers travelling in the Sangamithra express train that there is some mechanical issue and asked all the passengers to get down and the whole coach was emptied by the team and the bomb disposal squad with sniffer dogs stepped into action and after checking it was found that the CCTV was malfunctioning so it was coming beep beep sound in the coach.We have formed totally 8 teams headed by SP Railways,as all agencies are on job as,GRPF,RPF,local police,Intelligence,Internal Security Division,and other agencies are pressed into action as one team will Analyse the CCTV footage,one is searching the near by lodge as who has boarded today morning and one is enquiring at the Auto stand and taxi stand and other places and another team will be doing technical investigation skill to find out who placed the object their and we appeal to all the passengers to need to be panic as the object found at the railway line is dummy object and he ruled out of any handmade or country made grenade it is he said we have heard about country made pistol but we do not came across of country made grenade we say it is a dummy object which is nor a grenade or it can be converted into grenade or any explosive device as there was no gun powder or any other explosive materials was in it it was 600 grams weighing object as iron object it is all the passengers are safe coming to railway station as for precautionary measures we have stationed all the staff on their stretch of platforms and they are inspecting all the places with bomb squad and sniffer dog with the help of local police and railway police force and a case has been registered regarding the incident and further investigation is on to find out who placed the object at the railway line at the Krantiveera sangoli rayana railway station and the Karnataka state industrial security force constable Krishna’s job is highly commendable and he will be rewarded for the commendable job he has done and I appreciate all the officers to handling the situation very safely and taking all precautions of the safety of passengers he added.

Home Minister of karnataka state,MB Patil reacted on the bomb scare in Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station in Bengaluru after collecting the information from the officers he told media persons that,according to his information it is a dummy object found in the railway line and cops are investigating the matter and the grenade like object has been taken to forensic laboratory as the bomb scare was reported all the senior police officials of railways and local police rushed to spot and took stock of the situation and the teams as Police and RPF checked all the platforms,trains and bogies stationed at the railway station and we have formed 10 special teams consist of 150 police personnel to nab the culprits and said there is no need to be panic as it is a dummy object and we will enhance the security arrangements more number of police will be deployed for the safety of passengers and their families who travel to different places and I appreciate all the staff and officers who has handled the situation very safely and confidentially without any trouble to passengers and all precautionary measures are being taken for the safety of passengers he added.

KSR Railway station in Majestic at the city centre is the busiest railway station in the city with a daily footfall of about 2 lakh passengers and around 100 trains leaving and arriving daily. The Railway Station is also connected to the metro station and both intra-city and interstate bus stations through subways and skywalks.