Kangra, July 21
Panic gripped this temple-town today following the detection of a highly sophisticated timer device fitted at the roof of an HRTC bus on its way from Dharamsala to Shimla via Chandigarh. The device was possibly fitted by some pro-Pakistan militant, the police said here today.
Kangra district police chief Sanjay Kundu who briefed mediapersons said a bus passenger, a student in Chandigarh, while keeping his luggage at the roof of the bus at the Kangra bus stand, chanced to notice the device and informed the conductor. The conductor of the bus (HP 38 7628) ignored the information and the bus left the bus stand for its destination at 10 a.m. When the bus reached Tehsil Chowk in the heart of this town just outside the police station, student raised a hue and cry forcing the driver to halt.
He asked the conductor to inform the police. The police was informed about the timer by the conductor, Mr Jagdish Chand, at 10.15 a.m.
The SSP said the police asked the passengers to leave the bus which was taken to an isolated place outside the town. A bomb disposal squad was called from Dharamsala. The squad, using blanket, removed the timer but no explosive was found.
Mr Kundu said he did not rule out the possibility of the timer being fitted by a pro-Pakistan outfit. He said “we have started investigations.” He blamed the HRTC staff for slackness and said there were certain loopholes in the HRTC system which required to be plugged.
He said the incident was the first of its kind in the state. He said 150 Kashmiri Muslims were running business at McLeodganj. The police had been put on alert following the detection of the timer.
He said the Kangra police was effectively dealing with militancy cases and on the tip of from the Kangra police, the Punjab police could nab a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, Rashid, involved in the killing of four Army jawans at the Damtal firing range, from the Punjab town recently.
