Nepali national held in Delhi with 498 detonators

Delhi Police has arrested a 42-year-old Nepali national, suspected of having link with Nepali Maoists, with 498 non-electronic detonators hidden in his jacket and belt.

The police are investigating to find if he had any links with Maoists in India.

“The accused Loknath Panth, 42, was arrested from Karol Bagh on Thursday evening on the basis of specific information while he was going to New Delhi railway station. A bundle of wire, an explosive safety fuse wire used to initiate the explosive devices, was recovered from his bag”, said a senior Delhi Police officer.

“Both the pockets of his jacket were found stitched and on unstitching them, 150 non-electronic detonators were recovered.

He was wearing a specially designed belt which had a slot, from which 348 detonators more were recovered,” the police officer added.

He first came to India in 1985 and worked in a factory in Ludhiana in Punjab.

“When his father died, he went back to Nepal and is suspected to be working for Nepali Maoists. He is being interrogated to probe his links with Maoist groups to whom he is suspected to be supplying the explosives.

Further probe is on to establish the source of supply of detonators,” the officer said. “We are also investigating if he had links with Maoists in India and whether he was here to supply detonators to them,” the officer added.