Thiruvananthapuram: In a possible breakthrough
in investigations into the crude explosive found in the
Kingfisher aircraft, police Monday took one person into
custody for questioning based on the marking on the newspaper
in which the bomb was wrapped.
Police sources said the suspect was taken into custody at
Nedumangad Town near here while they were pursuing a lead in
the form of markings in the Malayalam newspaper in which the
crude device was found wrapped yesterday.
The Thiruvananthapuram edition of the Malayalam newspaper
had an "N" mark on it which indicated it was distributed in
Nedumangad area, about 25 km from towards the eastern side
of the state capital.
Since last night, police had been questioning newspaper
agents and vendors in the area in this connection, the sources
said.
Meanwhile, the FIR lodged in the case said the substance
was not of high intensity.
According to the FIR, based on the forensic analysis of the
material, the material was a mixture of potassium chloride,
ammonia and sulphur.
Though the crude device could not go off on its own, the
possibility of it bursting due to air pressure during flight
could not be ruled out, the FIR, said.
A team led by city police commissioner M R Ajaya Kumar,
returned today after preliminary investigations at Bengaluru
airport, from where the flight originated.
Employees who were engaged in connection with the flight
were questioned and close circuit TV footages at the airport
were scanned by the team.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 10:27