By IANS
New Delhi : Averting a potential tragedy at a Delhi Metro station in northwest Delhi, security officials Saturday recovered a bag containing electronic devices which could have been used in assembling explosives.
“A bag containing electronic devices has been recovered from an unidentified man during the regular frisking of passengers at the security counter of the Rohini Metro station,” Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) spokesman Vertul Singh said.
“According to experts, the bag has electronic devices that can be used in preparing explosives — improvised electronic devices (IED). The entire mechanism of preparing explosives was there, but we can say that it was not a bomb,” Singh told IANS.
An unidentified man was stopped for regular frisking at the security counter by the CISF officials at around 3.30 p.m.
But before the official could open the bag the man slipped off from there on the pretext of answering a call on his mobile phone. The security officials opened the bag after a few minutes when two women, whose identity was not revealed yet, approached the officials and claimed the bag.
Singh said the bag was opened and the women were immediately detained. They were handed over to Delhi Police’s special cell, which was questioning them.
However, Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said no explosives were recovered from the spot.
“People don’t have to panic as there was no explosive in the bag that could be used in preparing the bomb,” Bhagat said.
“We have obtained the man’s pictures from the close circuit television cameras (CCTV) positioned inside the station premises and have sent out teams to arrest him. The women are also being questioned,” he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal said Metro services were running as per schedule as the bag was not found near a platform.
“Metro services are normal. We advise people to report any suspicious thing to authorities,” he said.
Delhi Metro, a critical component of the capital’s public transport system, ferries about 500,000 passengers every day over a network of 65.1 km.
The CISF, which protects sensitive installations like airports and nuclear power plants, has taken over charge of the Metro’s security from Delhi Police in August this year.
At the 59 Metro stations in the capital, the central paramilitary force has deployed 1,633 personnel specially trained in anti-terrorist operations, anti-sabotage checks, suspect surveillance and safety and disaster management.