Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing probe into the recent theft of a dozen sophisticated firearms and ammunition from the Madras Regiment armoury, Army personnel made another startling discovery on Wednesday — 160 electric detonators found behind a wall near the firing range in the military zone in Bollaram. Police, alerted by the Army personnel, seized the detonators and registered a suo motu case under the Explosive Substances Act.Police said that the 33A-size commercial electrical detonators, primarily used for controlled blasting at construction and mining sites, were found near an adjoining residential venture, Golf Enclave. They cost about Rs 500 each.According to K Bhadya Naik, sub-inspector (SI), Bollarum police, who was on duty at the Army area along with his staff as part of the investigation into the armoury theft, a subedar of the 20 Madras Regiment first him informed him about the detonators on Wednesday afternoon. The subedar said that they were found in a geen plastic bucket by Army personnel, while conducting a search near the rear wall of the camp’s firing range. It appeared that the detonators had been abandoned by unknown persons.The SI, along with a constable, immediately rushed to the spot to inspect it. “We found eight bundles of total 160 electrical detonators in the bucket. The Bomb Disposal (BD) team of Malkajgiri was immediately alerted,” the SI said in his complaint, adding that the BD team, along with a sniffer dog, reached the location and identified them as 33A-size commercial electrical detonators.“They were seized in the presence of two independent witnesses. On the advice of the BD team, the detonators were secured to be safely disposed of by BD authorities, following required safety protocols,” Bollarum police said, adding that they are trying to identify the land development contractors who may have abandoned them there.Based on the SI’s complaint, police also registered a case under Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act late on Wednesday evening.Ruling out any connection with the armoury theft, Ch Sridhar, deputy commissioner of police, Malkajgiri, said the detonators were found on land belonging to a private venture. “They are suspected to have been used by developers at least about a year ago. This incident is not related to the ongoing investigation in the Army area at all,” the DCP maintained.Till late on Wednesday evening, Army personnel were spotted scouring the area adjoining the boundary wall of Golf Enclave to ascertain that it was clear.
