M A I N   N E W S

Over 600 shells found in UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat

New Delhi, October 10
In fresh recoveries, nearly 600 live and rusted rocket shells and missiles, 1,000 cartridges and other munitions were found abandoned near steel yards and open fields in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat since last evening.

As many as 275 shells and missiles, most of them rusted, were found by a bomb disposal squad from a drain near two steel factories in Secunderabad in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district.

District Magistrate Abhishek Singh told PTI that steel companies situated in the area were suspected to have dumped the ammunition in the drain.

He said though most of the shells were rusted, they had explosive content.

Mr Abhishek Singh said the police had already conducted raids at the two companies a week ago and further legal action would be taken against them.

According to the District Magistrate, action would be taken if any explosive material relating to metal scrap was found in the district, he said.

Over 100 live munitions were recoverd from a factory near Jaipur while two drums containing similar material were found abandoned on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, the police said.

Twenty shells were recovered during day-long raids near a factory in Jaipur where 90 mortars and rockets were found last night.

Five oil drums filled with mortar and artillery shells, missile pieces and grenades were also found abandoned on the roadside at Dudu, Inspector General of Police (Crime) O.P. Galhotra said.

Close to 150 shells and around 1,000 cartridges, mainly empty, were found near a steel yard at Kalamboli in Mumbai.

The explosives appeared to be imported as they had seals inscribed in Russian, the police said.

Fifty used shells were recovered from iron scrap containers at Kandla Port in Kutch district but none of these were found to be having any explosive substance.

“Most of these were identified as practice bombs used by armed forces during training,” they added.

In the national Capital, seven rocket shells were recovered from a drain in Uttam Nagar in West Delhi. — PTI