Maoist angle not ruled out in RTC bus blast, say cops

The RTC authorities on Wednesday clarified that there were nine passengers in the bus when the bomb went off.
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VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after a bomb went off in an Visakhapatnam-Araku ‘Telugu Velugu’ RTC bus near Damuku village of Anantagiri mandal in Visakhapatnam Agency, the Rural Police on Wednesday said that Maoist hand in the incident could not be ruled out. The explosive materials went off inside the bus around 8.20 pm, shattering the window glass panes and damaging the rear portion of the vehicle.

Though initial reports suggested that 15 passengers on board sustained minor injuries, the RTC authorities on Wednesday clarified that there were nine passengers in the bus when the bomb went off. The police denied the involvement of Maoists in the case after preliminary investigation on Tuesday night. But the bomb detection  squads, who inspected the bus, said otherwise. 


According to Rural Police, initially, they had suspected that some passengers might have been carrying a country-made bomb or some explosives used in quarrying works. But the bomb squad reportedly found traces of potassium nitrate, wires and 9-volt batteries in the vehicle which is usually used by Red rebels in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). “The Maoist angle in the case cannot be ruled out as our teams have recovered wires and batteries. Definitely, it’s not a deliberate blast. Some inexperienced person might be carrying the explosive material which went off accidentally,” Visakhapatnam Rural SP Rahul Dev Sharma told Express. 


As the banned CPI Maoists are organising the Martyrs’ Week, the cops have become more alert after the bomb incident. The Rural Police authorities on Wednesday conducted an emergency meeting with the RTC officials. “The RTC bus conductors and drivers have been instructed to keep an eye on the baggage. They have been told to alert the police if they find any unattended bags in buses,”the SP said.  

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