Life in the company of explosives

Bomb disposal expert, PSI Balkrishna Ghadigaonkar, who diffused two bombs at the Taj Palace Hotel on November 26, talks to Renni Abraham about the the nerve-wracking process and the high price of failure

At 10.30pm I reached the Taj Mahal hotel, after attending to a hoax call at the Trident hotel. Around 10.45pm a sniffer dog named Max was asked to approach a container placed at the front entrance of the hotel and indicate whether it contained a bomb. He sniffed at the container and sat down, indicating that he had discovered a bomb.

Till three years ago we had trained the dogs to bark when they detected an explosive. But we have realised that new bomb mechanisms can be tripped by this, as they are sound sensitive.

Next we used fishhooks to pick up the bomb and container, but the cover of the aluminium container snapped open, spilling the contents of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on to the floor. The blinking light on the IED told us that the bomb had been activated and had a scheduled explosion time. Time was running out fast.

The detonators and other mechanisms, as well as the container were fish-hooked and we could make out that unlike the RDX-laden bombs used in the 1993 blasts, where a time pencil mechanism was used, here a new technology was in place.

An X-ray of the container was taken from different angles to ascertain its contents. This showed us that 10kgs of RDX, ball-bearings and splinters were present in the container. We transferred the entire bomb into bomb bags and headed for the Girgaum beachfront.

Our analysis revealed that the threat was from the detonator wires, and the mechanism connected to the battery, both of which had to be neutralised.

While this was not a double relay mechanism, we realised that a Programmed Time Delay (PTD) was used in the bomb. The PTD system, we have learned at the National Academy of the NSG, is only manufactured in Pakistan. We have studied over 2,000 types of switches used in bombs.

The next step was to disconnect the mechanism from its wire connecting it to the battery. This done, myself and PSI Gawde, encountered our first real risk. While we had been trained to handle detonators that would be rigged with four wires — red, blue, yellow and green — there was a fifth grey wire here, which we imagined was aimed at confusing us.

Both of us invoked the names of our respective Kula Devtas (family deities) from the Konkan region where we hail, and remembered our family before cutting off the one wire that effectively neutralised the bomb. It was 3.30 am.

The same sequence was repeated when we neutralised a second bomb (with 8kgs of RDX) found at the rear entrance of the Taj at 10.30am. I cannot imagine what would have happened if the 10 kg and 8kg RDX payloads had exploded. Even in the 1993 blasts a maximum payload of 4kg RDX was used.

Surely the lobby and first floor of the Taj, as well as the entire media entourage standing a distance away from the entrance would have been wiped out. Fortunately I have consciously married a graduate to ensure that she would be able to get an officer's job in the event of my untimely demise.