BENGALURU: An explosive substance was found in a hotel worker’s bag at a hotel on Thanisandra Main Road on Friday. The cracker-like object was found when the hotel staff checked his bag looking for his Aadhaar card as he had joined recently. Sampigehalli police arrested Abdul Rehman (23), a resident of Bellalli near Kogilu Main Road.
Joint Commissioner of East Division Ramesh Banoth said that the object resembling a tennis ball was found in a polythene cover belonging to Rehman and it was filled with chemicals, with two fuses attached to it. The object was safely disposed of in a secure location, and samples of the chemical were sent to the FSL for further analysis.
The police said that Rehman, who was a ragpicker earlier, had deserted his parents four months ago and joined the hotel as a supplier on Wednesday, claiming to be a resident of Bellalli. When the hotel management asked for his Aadhaar card, he failed to provide it.
Even after two days, he did not submit the document. Growing suspicious, one of the hotel staff members checked his bag in the storage room and found the explosive material and alerted police at 9.30 am.
The police arrived at the spot, inspected the bag, and found an explosive object. Upon questioning him, he claimed that he had found the explosive object on the road. However, he failed to provide any valid license or authorisation for possessing such an object.
The police said he was booked under Sec 3, 4, and 5 of Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Sections 6(a) and 9(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884. He has been taken into police custody, and further investigation are on.