03-04-2006, 12:59 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Blasts rock Kozhikode; threat to blow up cinema halls</b>
Friday March 3 2006 16:48 IST
Agencies
KOZHIKODE: Tension gripped the main business centre of Malabar region following suspected terrorist attack that rocked the busy Mavoor road area and threat by unidentified assailants to blow up three cinema halls at various places the city.
The first explosion took place just outside the KSRTC bus stand around 1245 hrs in the busy Mavoor Road area and another followed within minutes inside the private bus stand, located adjacent to the state-owned bus stand, police said.
While police were caught unawares when the first blast occurred, adequate security measures were taken at the private bus stand, which averted a major disaster as the explosion took place at an area where the buses were to arrive, they said.
City Police Commissioner H Venkitesh, who visited the spots along with district collector Rachana Shah, said samples collected from the blast site have been sent for expert examination. He, however, refused to divulge more details on the incidents.
Security has been beefed up at the Railway Station and places like S M Street, the main market area in the city.
In a related incident, Calicut Times, an eveninger, told the police that an anonymous caller informed them just few minutes before the blasts that bombs had been planted in <b>several places in the city as a sequel to Marad communal violence that claimed nine lives on May two, 2003.</b>
Meanwhile, miscreants threatened to blow up Kairali, Ganga and Apasara theatres in the city during the day forcing the authorities to impose strict security arrangements, police said.
The warning had been communicated through a <b>hand bill pasted on the compound wall of a mosque</b>, police said adding that search operations were on in main thoroughfares, railway and bus stations in and around the city.
As many as 47 gelatine sticks were found in a packet deposited by an unidentified person in the cloak room of the KSRTC bus stand a couple of weeks ago.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Friday March 3 2006 16:48 IST
Agencies
KOZHIKODE: Tension gripped the main business centre of Malabar region following suspected terrorist attack that rocked the busy Mavoor road area and threat by unidentified assailants to blow up three cinema halls at various places the city.
The first explosion took place just outside the KSRTC bus stand around 1245 hrs in the busy Mavoor Road area and another followed within minutes inside the private bus stand, located adjacent to the state-owned bus stand, police said.
While police were caught unawares when the first blast occurred, adequate security measures were taken at the private bus stand, which averted a major disaster as the explosion took place at an area where the buses were to arrive, they said.
City Police Commissioner H Venkitesh, who visited the spots along with district collector Rachana Shah, said samples collected from the blast site have been sent for expert examination. He, however, refused to divulge more details on the incidents.
Security has been beefed up at the Railway Station and places like S M Street, the main market area in the city.
In a related incident, Calicut Times, an eveninger, told the police that an anonymous caller informed them just few minutes before the blasts that bombs had been planted in <b>several places in the city as a sequel to Marad communal violence that claimed nine lives on May two, 2003.</b>
Meanwhile, miscreants threatened to blow up Kairali, Ganga and Apasara theatres in the city during the day forcing the authorities to impose strict security arrangements, police said.
The warning had been communicated through a <b>hand bill pasted on the compound wall of a mosque</b>, police said adding that search operations were on in main thoroughfares, railway and bus stations in and around the city.
As many as 47 gelatine sticks were found in a packet deposited by an unidentified person in the cloak room of the KSRTC bus stand a couple of weeks ago.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->