R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (EP)
Karkala, Mar 26: A day after large amounts of explosives were found illegally stocked in Durga, Nakre and near Koti Chennaya theme park, the police on Wednesday March 26 continued their operation and seized another large cache of explosives at Kuntadi Ashoknagar.
They have also spread the net for the arrest of prime suspect Biju Thomas.
The police led by ASP Annamalai raided a farm occupied by Biju Thomas at Kuntadi Ashoknagar on Wednesday. They found a large amount of explosives comprising 500 gelatin sticks, 700 electronic detonators, sun 90 excluse - 500, three boxes of safety fuse and 350 bags of ammonium nitrate weighing 175 quintals.
The police informed that the accused had bought the farm in an inhabited place surrounded by black rocks to carry out his illegal business.
Probationery ASP Radhika, Police Inspector G S Naikar, rural SI Ravi N N and other staff participated in the operation.
Sources said that Biju has been conducting his business with political patronage. The police have learnt that he is operating from some other places also.
It is said that some of the local Congress and BJP leaders too have a hand in his business and the police who have got information about have prepared a strategy for their arrests.
Biju is of Kerala origin but has been staying in Marne village of Karkala taluk for some time. He reportedly had license for possessing raw materials of explosives, however, he allegedly misused the permission and brought illegal explosives from other places and sold them at exorbitant rates to make huge profit, it is said.
In the operation led by ASP Labhu Ram in 2007 at Ajekar, a large cache of explosives were found and the suspect Biju was arrested.
The Kerala police had come to Karkala in 2011 and with the cooperation of Karkala police arrested Biju and took him to Kerala. However the release of Biju within a few days of arrest and his roaming around has given rise to talk among the people.
Biju who had bought a plantation at Nakre Varnabettu fifteen days ago had stocked about four loads of explosives. The explosives that could not be accommodated in the house and were spread in the yard.
It is yet to be known from which states are such a large amount of explosives are coming.
Transport of such large amount of explosives while there are check posts on national and state highways, reflects on the inefficiency of the police and the check post staff.