When a policeman casually took a powerful bomb inside police station in Chennai

On a sunny morning 27 years ago, an explosion at the Anna Salai police station in Chennai could have killed cops. What saved them was the bomb’s faulty timer device.

It is worth remembering this incident that took place in Tamil Nadu on February 25, 1998, in light of the accidental detonation of seized explosives at Nowgam police station in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir this Children’s Day, which led to the death of nine people and injuries to 32 others.

It was a busy morning. A large number of men and women were waiting to board buses at the TVS bus stop on the main street of Anna Salai (Mount Road), one of the busiest transportation points in the state capital. Someone noticed an unclaimed bag at the bus stop across from Spencer Plaza, a popular hangout in those days. Since a serial bomb blast took place in Coimbatore just 11 days ago, people panicked when they saw the bag.

A police officer arrived at the scene, picked up the bag and took it to Anna Salai police station, located a few meters away. He placed it on a table inside the station and notified senior officers.

‘Tiffin box bomb’

The bomb expert who examined the luggage was astonished to see that it was a bomb. It later became known as the ‘tiffin box bomb’. The explosive was placed in a stainless steel container, covered with a plastic lid and connected to a small plastic box with a timer device. The steel box and its lid were tied with red and yellow tape and placed inside a Rexine bag.

The report said, “In the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the bomb, which would have an effect in a radius of 300 meters, did not explode due to the malfunction of the timer device.” Hindu Dated February 26, 1998. It contained five kg of gelatin material and was connected to batteries and a detonator. According to a bomb expert, the report said, “The timer was set in the opposite direction, which delayed the explosion, which was planned to take place around 9.30 in the morning, when the bus stop is usually very crowded. In case of impact, many buildings in the area could have been damaged.”

The ‘Tiffin box bomb’ was later taken to an open area and defused by bomb detection and disposal teams.

sensitization

However, the police officer’s indiscriminate use of the bomb became a matter of debate in police circles. He underlined the need to sensitize police personnel regarding unclaimed luggage.

“It is ironic that although the police have launched an awareness campaign among traders, theater managers and security personnel of shopping malls through a series of public meetings on the precautions to be taken in cases of ‘bomb threat’, many men in uniform remain unaware of basic precautions.” Hindu he wrote in a follow-up report.

‘The power of habit’

“A police officer thankfully admitted that the timer device was faulty and the bomb was crude, and the police were unaware of the existence of some device that would explode even if moved. He added that as the police are yet to take the bomb threat very seriously, police personnel, out of habit, tend to take ‘mystery packages’ to the relevant stations for verification. In fact, on Thursday, it was learned that the police had taken a package found in the Buckingham Canal to Pulianthope police station. It was learned in the report that it was taken after being checked at the scene. It was learned that the common practice followed by officers was to throw ‘abandoned parcels’ into water tanks or pits inside police stations.

However, the TVS Bus Stand case was not an isolated case. A day later, near the College of Music on Greenways Road in Chennai, some policemen were seen kicking around an object with a wick resembling a gelatin stick; Meanwhile, many drivers were passing by and some were looking curiously.

As for the source of the ‘Tiffin box bomb’, the police suspected the role of Amanullah, who was earlier arrested for storing a consignment of explosives at Vepery in Chennai. Amanullah and his accomplice Shah Jahan managed to escape from police custody.