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Security personnel with sniffer dogs inspect parceled goods, at Guwahati Railway station in Guwahati on Thursday. (PTI)[/caption]
Guwahati, May 16 (PTI): A day after a grenade blast here injured 12 persons, Guwahati Police on Thursday recovered huge amount of suspected explosive materials along with arms and ammunition from a house.
A couple has also been taken into custody for interrogation in this regard, police sources said.
Police started search operations at the house in Panjabari locality of the city and recovered large quantities of materials used in making bombs, arms and ammunition, a laptop and other incriminating goods, they said.
A forensic team has also reached the spot and is carrying out investigation.
"We can only confirm that suspected explosive materials have been recovered during the search operations," a senior police officer present at the site told PTI.
Police sources said that the house was taken on rent about a month back by a woman and a person, "suspected to be a pro-talk ULFA militant", used to visit her.
When asked, Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar declined to divulge details. "We are investigating the case and are on the right track. We are on the lead," he said.
At least 12 persons, including two SSB personnel and a woman, were injured in the grenade blast in front of a shopping mall in the heart of the city on Wednesday evening.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar told PTI that two persons riding a motorcycle hurled the grenade in front of the shopping mall located at arterial R G Baruah Road just opposite the state zoo around 8 pm on Wednesday.
Visiting the spot, DGP Kuladhar Saikia had said that a police barricade was set up in front of the mall to conduct routine checks of vehicles, and it is suspected the grenade was hurled aiming the police party.
The SSB jawans were on patrolling duty with Assam Police personnel near the barricade.
Local TV channels reported that ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah claimed responsibility for the blast, but the police refused to confirm it, saying a detailed investigation will bring out the truth.
A high-level security meeting has been convened on Thursday evening between the administration, police and the owners of the malls, the Kamakhya temple management committee, other units of different temples and in-charges of prominent places, officials said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal strongly condemned the incident and asked the DGP to carry out a thorough probe to nab the culprits immediately.
"Nobody would be allowed to commit such heinous crimes and strong action would be against those behind this dastardly act," he had said.
The blast took place hours after Sonowal chaired a high-level security review meeting on Wednesday with the top brass of the Home Department, including police.
Two activists of the ULFA's 'anti-talk' faction have been arrested for involvement in Wednesday's grenade blasts here that left six persons, including four security personnel, injured, police said on Thursday.
Guwahati City Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar identified the arrested as senior cadre Pranmoy Asom and his accomplice Jahnabi Saikia.
"We had received inputs regarding the movement of senior ULFA cadres from Bagharbari area of the city immediately after the blast. We have activated our intelligence to track them and arrested both Pranmoy Asom and Jahnabi Saikia," he said.
A 9 mm pistol, 25 rounds of ammunition, bomb-making materials and 20 kgs gunpowder was seized from their possession, he added.
According to the Commissioner, Pranmnoy Rajguru alias Pranmoy Asom had joined the Ulfa in 1986, while Saikia was a "sleeper agent" in Guwahati and he used to visit her frequently.
"We have almost cracked the case of the Wednesday blast. However, we cannot divulge the details as it might hamper the investigation," he said, adding that there are two to three more people involved and they will be picked up soon.
The anti-talk faction of Ulfa had claimed responsibility for the blast in front of a shopping mall here on Wednesday evening.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday talked to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone and took stock of situation in the state after the blast in Guwahati.
The Home Minister also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
"HM Shri @rajnathsingh spoke to Assam Chief Minister, Shri @sarbanandsonwal regarding the blast in Guwahati. The Chief Minister apprised him of the situation. The police and other agencies are investigating the incident. The HM prays for the speedy recovery of the injured," the Home Ministry Office tweeted.
As many as six people, including two security personnel, were injured in a blast outside a shopping mall in Guwahati on Wednesday evening.