A high-level security alert was triggered on the outskirts of Bengaluru this Sunday after gelatin sticks were discovered near the route scheduled for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy.
The explosives were recovered near Thathaguni in the Kaggalipura area, a location situated close to the route leading to the Art of Living international center, where the Prime Minister was attending 45th-anniversary celebrations. Security agencies, already on high alert for the VVIP visit, cordoned off the area immediately to conduct a thorough sweep.
The Warning Call and Discovery
The recovery followed a cryptic early-morning phone call to a local police station. A suspect allegedly warned authorities of potential blasts near the HAL Airport and the Art of Living center. While a search at HAL yielded no suspicious items, officers patrolling the Kaggalipura stretch found the gelatin sticks near a bridge beside a compound wall. Following the discovery, police tracked the caller to a residence near Koramangala, where he was taken into custody for intensive interrogation.
Suspect’s History and Investigation
Initial investigations revealed that the detained individual is a “repeat offender” who has made similar hoax threat calls during previous VIP visits to the city. On prior occasions, he was released after it emerged he was reportedly suffering from mental health issues.
However, senior officers, including a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), noted that this incident is being treated with far greater severity because physical explosive material was actually recovered. Police are now questioning the suspect’s parents and probing potential links to groups opposed to the Art of Living organization.
Probing the Source of Explosives
The primary focus of the ongoing probe is to determine the origin of the gelatin sticks and how a person with a history of mental instability managed to acquire them. Investigators are examining whether the suspect acted alone or was used as a pawn by others to disrupt the Prime Minister’s visit. While the material was detected and cleared well before the PM’s movement, the breach has raised serious questions regarding the monitoring of individuals with a history of making threats against high-profile targets.