l NSG recovers 50-odd bombs, explosive material from the rented premises
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO/PANJIM: Even as the elite National Security Guards from Delhi recovered 50-odd bombs and explosive material from the rented premises of the deceased Paplu Mulgund, the Goa police has categorically asserted that the bomb blast or the deceased was in no way linked to any terror module or terror group.
Instead the deceased Paplu was a poacher who used to hunt wild boar with country made crude bombs in the forest around Ponda, police reported.
“After thorough investigations into all possible angles, we have reached a conclusion that deceased Paplu was in no way linked to any terror module. The deceased was basically into the occupation of killing animals and catching fish. He used to work as a poacher in the forest around Ponda. The country made bombs were used
as explosives by him to kill wild boars and foxes and sell the meat to prospective customers”, acting South Goa district police chief and SP Karthik Kashyap told the media at the blast site on Friday.
Kashyap said there’s no shred of evidence to show that the deceased, who has been booked under the Explosives Substances Act, was involved in using the explosives for anti national activity.
Replying to a question, SP Kashyap said the police are still investigating to find out the source of the explosive material, but asserted that the police have not come out with any evidence to show that the deceased was involved in selling the bombs to others. “Right now, I am not in a position to say the type of material used by the accused to assemble the bombs. We have dispatched the seized material to the forensic lab for analysis”, he explained.
To another question, Kashyap said the police have registered an offence against the deceased under the Explosives Substances Act. “Right now, we have not named any other person as an accused in the case. The police may name more persons once the investigations help unearth the source of the explosives”, he added.
The SP informed that the injured –Paplu’s children, neighbour’s child, his wife and a neighbour are all safe and out of danger, adding that the police have recorded the statement of Paplu’s wife.
A team of Belgaum police led by DySP internal security, S R Naidu, besides IB sleuths were at the bomb blast to gather information about the incident. Though it is believed that an official of the National Investigation Agency was in the city to get first hand information about the blast, DySP Mohan Naik denied the visit of NIA team at the blast site.
Director General of Police T N Mohan has indicated that police are investigating the source of the supply of crude bombs that killed Paplu Mulgund and injured four persons including three children, in the blast on Wednesday.
“We are investigating the source of supply because we found there were several crude bombs found at the rented premises where the deceased would live with his family,” Mohan told Herald.
The Crime Branch team, which is assigned to investigate the blast, is also probing the source of gun powder and other materials, recovered from the crime spot.
While ruling out terror link to this case, Mohan said the deceased was a supplier of wild boar meat and would also go fishing.
