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Man held for 
bomb on rails

TRIVANDRUM — The Kerala police on Saturday arrested a temporary driver of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation or KSRTC in connection with the planting of a crude bomb on the rail track near Kottayam.

Senthil Kumaran, 37, a native of Piravom Veliyanad, was picked up from a house near Shornur in Palghat district.

Kottayam Superintendent of Police C Rajagopal said the arrested had admitted that he had planted the bomb in a tiffin box on the track in order to trap another driver against whom he nursed a personal grudge.

The police got a lead in the case when they interrogated TJ Thomas on finding his name on the steel box. Thomas, who was taken into custody by the police, had told police that it could be the handiwork of Senthil, with whom he had fallen out some time back.

The investigators are not ready to accept Senthil’s statement in its face value since the device they have planted on the track could not be made by laymen. Though it was of low intensity, the device was technically perfect. Its intensity could have been enhanced by increasing the amount of ammonium nitrate in it.

The device, which contained explosive chemicals, timer, batteries and fuse wire, did not cause any damage as the fuse wire was connected wrongly to the timer. The investigators are trying to find out whether any organisation was behind Senthi.

They expect to get more clues from Santhosh, who gave the police a slip when they searched the house of Senthil. Santhosh is said to be involved in several criminal activities and has served a seven-year jail term.

The detection of the device by the railway workers on Thursday morning had disrupted train traffic for more than two hours between Kottayam and Ernakulam.