Dummy grenades in unclaimed box cause flutter in MGR Central

The Railway police discovered it on Tuesday when packages that have not been claimed in six months were being taken to Salt Cotaurs where the goods are usually auctioned. Officials had broken the box open to examine its contents and called the Railway Protection Force and the Railway Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS) immediately after they recognised the ammunition.

The security forces then identified it as “dummy” grenades used during training purposes and investigation revealed that the parcel was sent by a Pravin Kakde, Commandant of Central Ammunition Depot Camp at Pulgaon in Maharashtra, on March 23. While it was dispatched to the 172 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army (Madras Regiment) at Campbell Bay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands via Sangamithra Express, since the address mentioned was “72 INF” instead of “172 INF”, the box was stranded at the station for over eight months.

The grenades were screened and after being certain that the grenades will not explode, the movement control officer (MCO) at the Chennai Central was alerted through whom the officers at Pallavaram Contonement Board were informed about the box.

Two army personnel Amin Bhatt and Baldev Singh visited the Salt Cotaurs and informed the officials that they would take the box with them on Wednesday.

When the Nagpur territorial army unit was contacted, they told the police that they were not aware that the parcel ended up in Chennai and that steps were being taken to transport it to Andaman. “It will most likely be shipped to Andaman in a day or two,” said an officer from the Railway police.