R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)
Karkala, Mar 28: The Karkala police have sought the assistance of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate into the large amounts of explosives seized from various places in the taluk over the last four days.
The police have so far confiscated explosive materials worth nearly Rs 2 crore from six places across the taluk. On Friday March 28 the operation continued into its fifth day, however, the prime accused, Biju Thomas (45) from Kottayam, Kerala is still absconding. He was staying near Joduraste in Kukkundoor in the taluk until he escaped. The police have intensified their search for him.
Biju Thomas is said to have accumulated explosives much more than the limit permitted by the license he had acquired. About two years ago, a case was filed against him in a Kerala police station for illegally stocking up explosives. The Kerala police had then arrived in Karkala and with the help of the local police, taken him into custody. He was soon released on bail.
Even after his release from jail, Biju continued to illegally stock up explosives, and now he is wanted by the Karkala police.
As the NIA conducts investigations into cases related to terrorism and Naxalism, the police have sought NIA's help as they suspect that the large cache of explosives seized may have been meant not just for quarries but for unlawful activities too.
On Thursday March 27, the police confiscated explosive materials worth Rs 4.8 lac, along with a pickup truck from Ashok Nagar in Kalya village near Belman.
As many as 37,000 electronic detonators were found illegally stored in 25 boxes inside a rubber estate in Ashok Nagar by the police. This rubber estate belongs to Biju Thomas, it is said. Biju, who had acquired a total of 40 acres of land in Ashok Nagar, Kuntady in Kalya village, had stocked these detonators in two separate places. On March 26, illegally stocked explosives were found from another spot within the same rubber estate.
Explosives had also been recovered from different places within the taluk during the last few of days. The police are yet to collect details as to how Biju would sell these explosives, who were his buyers, and who support him in these activities. Although ostensibly these explosives were meant for illegal stone quarries in the taluk, people are surprised at the fact that the stock found is totally disproportionate to the quantity required for that purpose.
Police have now begun investigation as to whether this activity has also been extended to other taluks, districts, and states.