A 35-year-old labourer from Balod, Chhattisgarh, was detained by the Lakadganj police on September 1. He was apprehended after arriving in Nagpur from Warora, found in possession of three stolen mobile phones and two live detonators. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Nagpur was alerted immediately, and their team visited the Lakadganj police station to gather further details about the incident.
The city police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) examined the devices and confirmed they were live, following which the detonators were deactivated, packed and sealed, said zonal DCP Rahul Madane.
Police said Vishwakarma claimed unpaid wages had forced him to steal the contractor’s mobile phones to meet his daily expenses. He also picked up two live detonators from the same site before travelling by train from Chandrapur to Nagpur. A search conducted by a team led by senior inspector Mukund Kawade of Lakadganj police recovered the stolen items from his possession. A case has been registered against Vishwakarma under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act and the Explosives Act. He has been arrested, and his police custody remand (PCR) has been recorded. Senior officers of WCL Warora and the concerned contractor are being questioned as part of the investigation. Police are probing how Vishwakarma obtained the detonators, what he intended to use them for, and why he brought live explosives to Nagpur.