A bag containing explosives was found on a bus at the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) in Vijayawada in the early hours of Tuesday, September 15. The unattended luggage was noticed by a passenger, Asif Ali from Uttar Pradesh. He alerted and handed the bag over to the Krishnalanka police.
Officials have recovered 46 gelatin sticks and 50 detonators from the bag. Preliminary investigation revealed that the luggage had been left on a bus that had travelled from Narasaraopet in Palnadu district, 97 kilometers away to Vijayawada.
The South Zone police of the NTR district commissionerate have launched an investigation to identify and locate the person who left the explosive substance on the bus. Special teams have been formed for the purpose, while a bomb detection squad and sniffer dog were deployed as part of the search.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Krishna Kanth Patil said the police were examining the incident from all possible angles and were confident of tracing the owner of the bag. The Krishnalanka police have registered a case under the Explosives Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
As part of the investigation, police are examining CCTV footage from bus stations at Narasaraopet, Guntur, Mangalagiri and other locations along the route. Further investigation is underway.