Tragedy averted in Assam as cops defuse explosive on train

A major tragedy was averted on Friday after an attempt by suspected militants to blow up an express train was foiled by the police in Guwahati.

The militants planted a 5kg PTD (programmable timer device) in coach number S-5 of the Sealdah-Guwahati Kanchenjunga Express. However, alert personnel of the government railway police (GRP) detected the explosive during routine frisking of trains.

"We got into S-5 at the Kamakhya station (5km from Guwahati) where we spotted an unclaimed airbag under seat number 22 at around 5:30am. Soon, we detected a bomb kept in a steel container and concealed in the bag," the GRP personnel said.

By the time the bomb was detected, the train had arrived Guwahati where the passengers were immediately evacuated. The bomb was later defused by the personnel of bomb disposal squad, police said.

"It was a very powerful bomb, fitted with a time device. Given the threat perception in Guwahati especially in the run upto the Ambubachi mela, we had alerted the security agencies. Fortunately, the alertness of the GRP personnel saved many lives today," IG of Assam Police B Mahanta said.

ADG of Assam Police Khagen Sarma said it was probably the handiwork of banned extremist groups ULFA or NDFB.

"Given the nature of the bomb, we suspect it was planted by the ULFA (anti-talks faction of the outfit led by its elusive 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah). However, we also don't rule out the hand of pro and anti-talks factions of the NDFB," Sarma told DNA.

"We presume the bomb was planted by elements opposed to peace talks," Ruhul Amin, DSP of GRP, said.

Meanwhile, the authorities have sounded a high alert across the state. The police appealed to people to be vigilant in crowded areas. Eighty eight people were killed in a series of blasts in the state in 2008.