Rangiya (Assam): A powerful bomb, meant to be triggered during a national conference of states' police chiefs and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week-end, was today recovered from a Guwahati-bound train here.
Security personnel on duty in Alipurduar-Kamakhya Intercity Express spotted a plastic bag covered with a towel and wires sticking out near Kendukona railway station under Rangiya sub-division in Kamrup district.
They immediately informed Kendukona station master and the train was halted there and the bomb recovered, police said.
In a statement, the National Investigation Agency said that based on intelligence inputs collected by NIA that explosive materials and Improvised Explosive Devices were being transported for planning attacks in Assam and the same were being transported by train, the Assam Police were alerted and a joint operation was undertaken.
“It is learnt that the explosives were meant to be used during the period when a high-level conference was scheduled to be held,” NIA said.
The conference of DGPs and IGPs will be held in Guwahati on November 29-30. Apart from the Prime Minister, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will address the meet.
NIA said prompt action resulted in the recovery of one unclaimed IED and explosive material weighing five kgs was recovered from the toilet of the fourth compartment of the train.
The passengers were asked to disembark for checking the train thoroughly and senior police, civil and railway officials, along with a dog squad of the Assam Police, rushed to the spot and removed the bomb.
A team of bomb experts from Guwahati have rushed to the spot to defuse the bomb, the police added.
