What are gelatin sticks found near PM Modi's Bengaluru event, how dangerous are they

A major security alert was triggered on Sunday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Art of Living Foundation after two gelatin sticks were found along the convoy route in Bengaluru, police said.

Gelatin sticks are commercial explosives commonly used in mining, quarrying and construction work for blasting rock and excavation. They are regulated explosives that cannot detonate on their own and require a detonator to trigger an explosion. In India there sale is controlled by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization under strict licensing and safety rules.

According to police, the sticks were found around 25 feet away from the main road near Vaderahalli Gate close to the Tataguni estate, which lies on the route used by the Prime Minister’s convoy. A police constable deployed on special duty spotted the objects during area surveillance, following which the anti-sabotage team was immediately called and the items were seized.


Deputy Inspector General of Police S Girish said special teams have been formed to investigate the origin of the explosives and praised the alertness of the constable who detected them.

“We are investigating who threw the gelatin sticks on the roadside,” he said.

Superintendent of Police R Srinivas Gowda said the packet containing the sticks was found near a compound during routine area domination duty, nearly one kilometre from the NICE Road junction. He said further investigation is underway to establish how the explosives reached the spot.

Police said it is not yet clear whether the gelatin sticks were deliberately placed or what the motive behind the incident could be. The Kaggalipura Police are probing the case.

Hoax call investigation underway

In a separate development, police detained a 40-year-old man identified as Lohit, a Koramangala resident, for allegedly making a hoax threat call ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. He reportedly claimed that blasts would be carried out at HAL Airport and the Art of Living venue.

Officials said Lohit is being interrogated but is not believed to be linked to the gelatin stick discovery. He is said to have a history of making similar hoax calls during previous high-security visits and is suspected to be mentally disturbed.