In a bizarre accident at the Patna civil court today, a bomb went off inside the crowded premises injuring cops who had brought live explosives along to present as evidence in a case.
The incident took place on Friday when the explosive was brought to the court by Sub Inspector Umakant Rai as evidence in a case related to a search conducted at a Patna students' hostel where a large amount of gunpowder was seized. The police official was carrying the bombs in a box which he placed on the table of the assistant prosecution officer. The blast is believed to be of low intensity.
After the explosion, the police official said one more box was kept in the room, causing panic inside the courtroom. Things took a dramatic turn when the bomb disposal unit of Patna Police said they would not be able to defuse the bomb. A team of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) would be required to defuse the bomb safely, they said. The second live bomb was left inside the courtroom for almost two hours.
According to rules, any explosive brought to the court as evidence has to be defused first.
A senior cop said the explosive seized at the Patna hostel was gunpowder that could not be disposed of, and the explosion occurred due to heat caused by friction. He added that the bomb was to be taken to a lab for further probe after court proceedings.
The Sub-inspector who brought the bomb to the court has hurt his arm but is out of danger, said Sabiul Haq, Station House Officer, or SHO, of the Pirbahore police station which has jurisdiction over the court area.
The police say they are investigating whether the bombs were defused correctly before being brought to court.
