Bomb Discovery Raises Concerns Ahead of Kerala Elections
Nine high-explosive crude bombs were discovered on a field at Kolari, near Mattannur, in Kannur district of Kerala on April 23 evening. The bombs were discovered by a local woman and were concealed in two buckets placed in a ditch on the field. The woman immediately alerted other villagers, who then notified the Mattanur police.
A bomb squad from Kannur promptly arrived at the scene and neutralized the explosives. The police believe the bombs were made recently and are investigating the incident seriously, especially in light of Kerala’s upcoming elections on April 26.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Mattanur area committee has called for a thorough investigation into the matter, urging authorities to apprehend those responsible for the placement of the bombs. The CPI(M) raised suspicions, alleging that the explosives may have been linked to an organization affiliated with the Sangh Parivar.
Meanwhile, the Congress submitted a complaint to the District Collector, the Chief Election Officer, and the Director General of Police expressing their apprehensions of possible violence on the polling day in Kannur. Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph alleged that the bombs were made at Panur and were intended to be used against “political opponents.” He demanded sufficient police force, including Central force, to be deployed at least at sensitive polling booths.
In the wake of a bomb explosion at Mulliyathode in Panoor in Kannur earlier in April, the police, the Central Reserve Police Force, a dog squad, and a bomb squad had jointly carried out inspections at Mattanur. However, they could not find anything.
The discovery of these bombs has heightened security measures in the district, and police and Central forces have been deployed at sensitive polling booths to prevent any untoward incidents during the upcoming elections.
