(MENAFN- Live Mint) Over 160 gelatin sticks were discovered concealed in bushes near a school in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, reported news agency PTI citing local police.

The Almora Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Devendra Pincha, stated that initial enquiries have dismissed any potential terrorist involvement. It appears that the explosives were abandoned by a contractor who had been engaged in road construction in the vicinity.

The incident was brought to light on 21 November after Subhash Singh, the acting principal of the Government Higher Secondary School, Dabhra, located in the Salt area, noticed several suspicious parcels in the bushes near the school campus and promptly alerted the police.

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Upon receiving the report, police personnel immediately attended the scene and secured the entire area. Subsequently, bomb disposal and dog units from the Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts were also summoned to conduct a meticulous search of the location.

Police reports indicate that a few packets of gelatin sticks were initially retrieved from one spot near the school, followed by numerous additional packets found approximately 15 to 20 feet away. In total, 161 cylindrical gelatin sticks were recovered from both sites.

The bomb disposal team transported all the packets to a secure location, where they were sealed, according to the police statement. The whole operation was documented on video, and forensic evidence was collected.

A case has been filed against unidentified individuals under Section 4(a) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Section 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Pincha explained that gelatin sticks are routinely used by contractors for fracturing stone and rock formations during road building.

Pincha said: "The road was constructed at this location a few years ago, and the contractor may have left the gelatin sticks in the bushes."

He also said that police are conducting thorough enquiries with local contractors and construction workers. However, he stressed that a definitive conclusion will only be reached following a full and detailed investigation.

Odisha: Large cache of arms, explosives found in cave in Malkangiri

In a separate incident, a large cache of explosives and weapons, suspected to have been hidden by Maoists, was recovered by security forces from a cave in Odisha's Malkangiri district on November 16, reported PTI citing Malkangiri police.

The seizure was made from a hill in Dulagundi forest in Kalimela police station area by the BSF, they said.

The arms and explosives were detected during a combing operation, they added.

Among the items recovered were an improvised directional mine, a pistol, 110 gelatin sticks, electronic devices, 150 live 7.62 mm cartridges, 170 empty firing cases, 10 blank rounds, two 125-decibel electronic trumpets, and a sensor.

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