In a major breach of security in the highest echelons of governance, unidentified persons managed to smuggle in one of the deadliest plastic explosives, PETN, inside the Uttar Pradesh assembly, thumbing the nose at the precinct’s three-tier security system.
Police sources said Pentaerythritol Tetranite (PETN) in crystalline form, weighing around 150gm, was possibly sneaked inside the House on the night of Tuesday July 11 to trigger an explosion later.
The explosive was detected on Wednesday July 12 morning when the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) was sanitizing the House premises as part of the mandatory daily drill whenever the assembly is in session. The squad found a blue carry bag under the seat cushion at the right end of the third row. Inside the bag, the squad found another plastic pack et containing between 100 gm to 150 gm of colourless and odourless crystals. The team placed the packet before a sniffer dog. Senior police officers said that since there was no odour, the dog did not react.
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Source: The Times of India.
UPDATE: Powder Found in UP Assembly Not PETN, DGP Seeks Suspension of Forensic Lab Director