Bomb disposal, UP style: Grab it, dunk it, beat it

AGRA: What do you do when confronted with a dozen or so country-made bombs on the staircase of a crowded library? Two Agra police cops found themselves in such a situation on Tuesday. Their response left onlookers confused about whether to applaud their courage or deplore their stupidity. The duo immediately filled a container with water, then dunked the bombs in it to "neutralize" them.

Not satisfied with their effort and fearful that the bombs may still explode, the two then hunted for sticks and stones and started beating the bombs to pulp. Finally, they carried the explosives with them on their motorbike to get rid of them at some safe place.

When TOI spoke to Agra SSP Rajesh Modak on Wednesday, he agreed that his men had not followed "the wisest course of action", and had endangered their own lives as well as those of others. He, however, added that the motive of the constables was good, something no one contested.

High alert was sounded at the Nagri Pracharini library on Tuesday afternoon at around 3pm when local residents stumbled upon a bunch of desi bombs near its staircase. Panic spread in the locality on MG Road as the library was full of readers at that time. There were hundreds of students studying in the primary school nearby, adding to the tension. Police were immediately informed about the danger.

It was then that the two policemen - TOI is not naming them at the request of the department - hurried to the spot from the Gokulpura police station. Once there, they first asked the crowd to maintain a decent distance from the bombs. Then they took a stick and turned the bombs around. One of them prodded a bomb with his foot.

Not bothering to call the bomb disposal squad (BDS) or inform their seniors, the two men decided to defuse the bombs on their own. On finishing their initial investigation, with foot and stick, the cops asked someone in the crowd to bring a bucket and fill it with water.

They had just dunked the bombs in them when an onlooker shouted, "Arre sahib, bomb phat gaya pani me daalne se toh (What if the bombs explode in the water)?" That got the policemen thinking. One of them promptly got a stone and started beating the bombs with it. Satisfied that the explosives had been defused after their thrashing, they finally carried them away on their bike.

The bomb disposal squad was called after all this had happened. And they found that the round objects were indeed minor explosives.

"We are assuming that someone placed the bombs at a busy place to disturb peace in the city," Modak said. "However, the act of the two men was not right. They should have called the bomb disposal squad and alerted seniors about it. Their intention can't be faulted though. A probe has been ordered in the matter."