Bombs scare away Bangalore IPL matches

NEW DELHI | MUMBAI: With foreign players objecting to matches in Bangalore, where chinks in the security armour were exposed, the Indian Premier League ( IPL) governing council on Sunday decided to shift two semifinal matches out of the Chinnaswamy Stadium to Navi Mumbai — a move which was severely criticised later in the day by the Karnataka government. Two low-intensity bomb blasts took place near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore minutes before the match on Saturday . What compounded security concerns was the discovery of three more explosives near the stadium on Sunday.

IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said the governing council was not ready to take any chances and they wanted to ensure the safety of players and spectators. The matches will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at the D Y Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

Mr Modi said IPL was reluctant to shift the semifinals at such a short notice. “But yesterday’s incidents have made it clear that the current environment in Bangalore prevents us from continuing with our original plans. The incidents were assessed by local police and the IPL’s security agency as being of a minor nature, but they have forced our hand.”

“This decision is naturally disappointing for the people of Bangalore, but has been taken with the tournament’s best interests, and the interests of its many varied stakeholders, in mind,” Mr Modi said in a statement.

“The IPL wishes those affected by yesterday’s incidents a speedy recovery from injuries suffered as a result of the cowardly actions. Despite this setback, we are confident the semifinals and finals of DLF IPL 2010 will be successfully contested and provide a fitting finale to a remarkable tournament.”

The Saturday’s blasts wounded at least 14 people and blew off a small portion of an outer wall of the stadium. Police later found a third bomb fitted with a timer and defused it. On Sunday, three more unexploded bombs were found metres away from the stadium. Police said it was too early to say whether the blasts and subsequent recovery of explosive material on Sunday was the handiwork of terrorists.

“The matter is being investigated and only that will reveal everything. It is too early to say who has done it,” additional director-general of police (law and order) A R Infant, Karnataka , said. “In view of the recent developments, all preventive measures have been taken across the state,” he said.

It may be recalled that IPL-III had come under threat from none other than Huji boss and Al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri . Kashmiri was also the handler to American terrorist David Coleman Headley who had scouted targets across the country in 2008 and 2009 for future LeT attacks. Kashmiri had, in a warning issued ahead of start of IPL-III , cautioned the foreign players to stay away from international sporting events being hosted by India, particularly the IPL tournament.