164 truck loads of 900 Tons explosives missing from Madhya Pradesh: Police

     Bhopal, August 27, 2010: Madhya Pradesh police today said at least 164 truck loads of high grade explosives went missing during transportation from neighbouring Rajasthan to the Central Indian state.

     At least 900 tonnes of explosives loaded on 164 trucks had been dispatched from Rajasthan between April and July 2010 for various traders of Madhya Pradesh but that never reached its destination, top police officers of Madhya Pradesh told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

     “Two people have been arrested by Madhya Pradesh police in that connection and rewards have been declared on the head of four others for their involvement in the explosive matter,” Sagar Range Inspector General of Police Anwesh Mangalam said over phone.

     Police party had also been sent to Rajasthan and other states to crack the case, said Mangalam, who is heading the investigation on the matter.

     Between April and July 2010, at least 61 truck loads of explosives had been dispatched for Sagar district, about 185 km from the state capital Bhopal, from a private company Rajasthan Explosives and Chemicals Limited (RECL) of Dholpur in Rajasthan state but those explosives never reached their scheduled destinations, he said.

     Sagar district SP V K Suryavanshi, when contacted, said Madhya Pradesh police had been to various places to investigate the matter.

     “During investigation of the matter, it came to fore that another consignment of 103 truck loads of explosives had also been sent from the same Dholpur private factory, which have gone missing in the last four months,” Gwalior Range Inspector General of Police Aravind Kumar told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com over phone.

     High grade explosives had been loaded on 103 trucks from RECL Dholpur for Ashok Nagar district in Madhya Pradesh, about 500 Km from the state Capital Bhopal, but the consignments never reached its destination, Kumar said.

     During investigation, it came to fore that 103 truck loads of explosives had been booked for Ashok Nagar district of Gwalior region but that never reached its scheduled destination, he said.

     “Police party have been stationed at Dholpur of Rajasthan and investigating the matter to ascertain whether the explosives have been passed on the wrong persons in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh or some other places and action would be taken accordingly,” IG Arvind Kumar said.

     Madhya Pradesh Police spokesman Sriprakash Dikshit said the matter was taken seriously by the state government and IG Sagar Anwesh Mangalam has been asked by the state government to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.

     Who could be behind the explosive matter, when asked, IG Anwesh Mangalam said “whether people are involved in illegal mining or militants, all are anti-nationals and all are equally dangerous to the country and the police is investigating their involvement in the matter and also police is determined to unearth the names behind the explosive deal,” he added.