Major security scare in Uttarakhand: 161 Gelatin sticks found near school in Almora; probe on

Almora (Uttarakhand): In a major security alert, police recovered 161 gelatin sticks, a high-intensity explosive material, from bushes near a government school in Almora.

According to an India Today report, the explosives were found on Thursday evening after students from the Government Higher Secondary School in Dabra village noticed a suspicious object while playing and informed the school principal.

Responding to the development, Almora SSP Devendra Pincha said, "...In the Dabra village, around 161 gelatin sticks were found in the bushes near the school. The local police arrived at the scene and the BDS team was also called in. The BDS team conducted an inquiry and searched the entire area. An FIR has been registered under the appropriate sections. Further action is underway. Gelatin sticks are typically used in road construction to break rocks. However, an investigation is underway to determine from where the sticks came here. Four teams have been formed to investigate this matter...”

A police team rushed to the site and secured the perimeter before calling in the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and dog squad for a thorough search. The seized material has been sent for forensic examination.

The explosive recovery comes amid heightened national security concerns following multiple recent incidents, including the Red Fort blast and the seizure of 2,900 kg of explosives near Al-Falah University in Faridabad earlier this month.

Investigators believe a core trio of doctors -- Dr Ganaie, Umar Nabi (the driver of an explosives-laden car that exploded near the Red Fort on November 10, killing 13 people), and Muzzaffar Rather (absconding) -- were running the module.

In a related development, Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Saturday foiled a major arms smuggling racket, arresting four suspects and recovering eight weapons, including Turkish and Chinese-made guns.

The operation, led by DCP Sanjeev Yadav, uncovered a sophisticated network supplying arms to North Indian gangsters via drones from Pakistan. The seized weapons included three Turkish-made and five Chinese-made guns. The arms were smuggled from Pakistan via drones.

Two suspects, Manmeet and Dalvinder, were caught with eight weapons, while two recipients of the smuggled arms were arrested in Baghpat.