Bangalore watched game as bombs ticked near stadium

On Saturday, 41,000 spectators watched the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, unaware that undetected bombs were ticking on the stadium’s walls.

The realisation dawned on Sunday, when the bomb squad of Bangalore Police found two more crude bombs near gate 1 of Karnataka State Cricket Association’s (KSCA) Chinnaswamy stadium, which is the entry point for VIPs and players.

The second bomb was found near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the stadium’s outer wall facing MG Road.

Hours later, police commissioner Shankar M Bidari and KSCA officials huddled in his office to decide whether to go ahead with the matches in the coming days.

At first everything was going well, suddenly there was a volte face from police authorities.

“We will give adequate security and there is no fear of more attacks,” Bidari said. He also assured KSCA officials that they can go ahead with holding the semi-finals of IPL at Chinnaswamy stadium as per the schedule on April 21 and 22.

The change in plan came after central intelligence agencies declined to clear Bangalore venue for the ‘safe’ conduct of the IPL matches.

But cricket fans would have none of this. There was a clamour for more tickets since morning at the counters of KSCA. Then cricket fans started demanding a refund.

On Saturday, an hour before the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers, Bangalore, two low-intensity bombs blew up the top of the outer wall at Gate No 12.

A little later, about 100 metres way, another bomb went off in the bushes. Police later recovered an unexploded device near Gate 8.

The device was no low-intensity, but it weighed nearly 3.5 kg and damage would have been extensive.

Bidari defended his decision to go ahead with the Saturday matches as per schedule saying he took the decision after he was convinced that the entire stadium was sanitised and there was no threat of any attack.

The entire city police had conducted several rounds of checks within the stadium with the help of sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squad.

But two bombs went off with all these checks, and on Sunday two more were detected. “One was found at a bus stop near Gate 1, which is an entry for the VIP and players from the Queens Road side. It was a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED),” a bomb disposal squad member said.

“The IED did not have a timer connected to it. The wires of detonators were not found to be connected to the device. The device has been taken to forensic science laboratory for tests,” said additional commissioner of police (law and order) MR Pujar.

After this, the entire stadium was cordoned off and four teams of bomb disposal squad were deployed for checks. The teams were checking the entire stadium when three constables found another suspicious-looking package inside the box type sign board.

“The device was found covered in a plastic cover. It had two layers of plastic cover and the constables opened the first layer when they suddenly realised it was an explosive as it had connected with a timer. The constables abandoned the packet and ran for help and summoned the bomb disposal squad inspecting inside the stadium,” said a police officer.

The device with timer weighed around 2kg and there would have been a disaster if it had gone off, added the officer. The device at Gate No8 was similar to this and was meant for heavy impact, he said declining to give the contents.