Delhi: Cops recover 10 country-made hand grenades, one held

PTI, Apr 11, 2023, 5:44 PM IST

A 33-year-old man was arrested with 10 country-made hand grenades from outer Delhi’s Holambi Kalan area, police said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Dilip alias Billi who hails from Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, lived with his family in Holambi Kalan area, they said. The recovery was made based on a tip-off received on Sunday regarding the hand grenades lying in the forest area of Metro Vihar, Phase-II, in Holambi Kalan and Dilip was apprehended, police said. Efforts are on to trace a co-accused, identified as Kashiram, in the case, officials said, adding Dilip worked at a printer shop in his locality in Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Ravi Kumar Singh said that during interrogation, Dilip disclosed that he was given around 10 country-made hand grenades by his friend Kashiram around 50 days ago to keep them in safe custody. The hand grenades were put inside a plastic bucket and covered with grass and kept in the mud near a drain, the DCP said. Dilip was promised money in return for keeping these grenades safe and does not know the intention or purpose behind storage of these explosive shells, police said. On instruction from Kashiram, accused Dilip was supposed to deliver the consignment to someone after which he would have received payment for the same, DCP Singh added.

According to police, these explosives can have an impact in the radius of 20 feet. Dilip used to keep changing the location for hiding these grenades to avoid being caught, police said, adding that extensive combing operations with the help of bomb disposal squad were carried out to ensure no more such substances were hidden in other areas. The DCP said intelligence agencies also interrogated the accused to ascertain the source and purpose of storage of the grenades. ”We have arrested the accused after registering a case under section 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act,” he said. ”The case is under investigation and search of another accused Kashiram is going on. We have sent our teams to Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh to nab him,” he said. Dilip is found to be previously involved in a case of theft while his accomplice Kashiram is found to be involved in a robbery case, police said.