Move to blow up Big Bazar outlet foiled

RANCHI: An attempt to blow up a crowded retail store here was foiled with the defusing of a bomb, officials here said on Monday. An employee of the Big Bazar store spotted the bomb when over 1,000 people were inside the shop which is spread over five floors.

The employee, Mohammad Habib Hussain, saw the bomb on the second floor Sunday evening and informed the police.

Two men have been detained in connection with the incident.

To avoid panic, the complex was evacuated by telling people that there was a short circuit in the building, officials added.

As Ranchi has no bomb disposal squad of its own, experts were called from Hazaribagh district which is around 100 km away. The district police also sought help from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The bomb was defused late Sunday night.

"It was a time bomb. Ammonia powder and explosives were found in it," said S.N. Pradhan, spokesperson of Jharkhand police.

"We do not rule out hand of some terrorist group. We will investigate the case and only then we can ascertain the involvement of some person or group," Pradhan said.

According to police sources two persons have been detained in connection with the planting of the bomb, though the officials declined to identify them.