(PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: The ministry of home affairs on Saturday ruled out any terror angle in the Nowgam police station blast case, terming it an “accidental explosion” that took place at the outskirts of Srinagar, killing 9 people and leaving several others injured.
Also read | Ammonium nitrate explodes? Seized explosives from Faridabad detonate inside J&K police station: 10 things to knowAddressing a press briefing, Prashant Lokhande, joint secretary (J&K division), MHA, said:
- “Yesterday, at around 11:20 pm, an unfortunate accidental explosion took place inside the Nowgam Police Station.”
- “During the investigation of a terror module, a huge cache of explosive substances and chemicals had been recovered and kept securely in an open area of the police station.”
- “As part of the standard procedure, these materials were being processed and forwarded for forensic examination.”
- “Due to their unstable and sensitive nature, they were being handled with utmost care. However, during the process, an accidental explosion occurred.”
- “In this incident, nine people lost their lives, while 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians sustained injuries. The injured were immediately rushed for medical care.”
- “The police station building suffered severe damage, along with some surrounding structures. The cause of the accident is being investigated, and any other speculation is unnecessary.”
Security personnel have cordoned off the area, and sniffer dogs have been deployed as part of the investigation.Also read | 9 killed in J&K police station blast: Top cop Nalin Prabhat rules out ‘terror angle’ Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Nalin Prabhat also termed the massive explosion at the Nowgam police station as “accidental.”Prabhat said the explosives were recovered during the investigation of a “white-collar terror module” and had been transported from Faridabad in Haryana to the Nowgam police station, where they were kept in a secured open area within the premises.According to officials, the blast took place while a joint police and forensic team was examining the explosive material, which was part of a nearly 2,900 kg chemical cache recovered from an arrested doctor. The explosion triggered multiple secondary blasts and caused severe structural damage to the building.Also read | CCTV shows moment ‘white-collar’ module explosives exploded inside Nowgam police station; chilling video shows impactSources said the probe is linked to the November 10 Delhi blast and to alleged objectionable posters found in Nowgam in October, which led to an FIR on October 19 and subsequent action against what was believed to be an inter-state Jaish-e-Mohammed module. Between October 20 and 27, two suspects were arrested from Shopian and Ganderbal, followed by the arrest of Dr Adil from Saharanpur on November 5. This led to the seizure of weapons and ammunition, including an AK-56 rifle, from Anantnag hospital and further arms and explosives from Faridabad.During interrogation, the accused allegedly named more persons involved, resulting in the arrest of Dr Muzammil of Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad and additional recoveries of weapons and explosives.