Pune: A low-intensity IED with a 7-hour timer was found and defused at a Hadapsar hospital. ATS and police are investigating a suspected car/person.
Panic gripped the Hadapsar area of Pune after a low-intensity explosive device was discovered at a private hospital. Upon receiving the report, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and dog squads rushed to the scene and defused the device. The equipment, which featured a 7-hour timer, was placed near a toilet inside the hospital premises. It remains unclear how or from where the alleged explosive was brought into the hospital.
A police official stated that a doctor at the hospital, located in the Kamdhenu Estate area, first spotted the suspicious object, which had a digital clock-like device attached to it. He immediately notified the police. Initial investigations suggest the device was a low-capacity IED.
Preliminary probes indicate that the device found in the hospital was an active bomb containing explosive material and a running timer. Security agencies are currently investigating the matter.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stated:
"At around 8:00 pm on Wednesday, the police received information that a bomb-like device had been found on the hospital premises. The police team, along with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, reached the spot immediately. Following the established protocol, the squad removed the device and took it to an open field at the Gliding Centre. The bomb has been successfully neutralised."
He further added that all teams have been mobilised to investigate the case. The Pune City Police, local police station, Crime Branch, and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are jointly probing the matter from all possible angles.
Speaking to the media outside the hospital, NCP MLA Chetan Vitthal Tupe said: "A bomb was planted inside the hospital, which has been successfully neutralised by the police and the bomb squad. Currently, there is no cause for panic. A thorough search of the entire hospital building and the surrounding premises has been conducted, and there is no longer any danger. However, this was indeed a live explosive device. Had there been an explosion, the consequences could have been severe. The police and administration have launched an investigation, which includes reviewing CCTV footage. Every aspect is being examined, and the police will share information once the probe is complete."
He further stated: "The identity of the person who placed the bomb has not yet been established. However, some individuals are under suspicion. It is alleged that a vehicle stopped there during the afternoon or evening; a person got out of the car and later returned to the same vehicle, which then drove away from the other side. This information has surfaced based on eyewitness statements. The police are also verifying these claims. Investigating agencies will probe the matter from every angle, including the possibility of a terror attack."