Arrest and Investigation of the Accused
A man has been remanded to police custody till May 21 by a court in Pune after being arrested for placing a "bomb-like" object at the Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital in Hadapsar. The accused, identified as Shivaji Ram Rathod (26), was apprehended from Nagpur on Friday. He was produced before the Cantonment Court on Saturday, where the police requested his custody for further investigation.
Rathod is originally from Solapur but was currently living in a rented house in Mundhwa and operating a rented shop in Manjari. The police are conducting an investigation into the source of the "gelatin sticks" used to create the "bomb-like" object. They have also submitted that the possibility of any links with terrorist organizations cannot be ruled out and needs to be explored further.
Financial and Behavioral Analysis
The police are examining the financial transactions and bank accounts of the accused. They are trying to determine if he had plans to target other locations similar to the Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital. Additionally, they are investigating whether the accused was influenced or provoked by someone else to commit the offense.
During a press briefing on Friday, Amitesh Kumar, Commissioner of Pune City Police, stated that no explosive content was found in the bomb-like object initially. He mentioned that it was not an actual bomb but rather a device intended to extort money from the doctor by placing dummy equipment in the hospital.
Disposal and Forensic Examination
The object was diffused using explosives, and soil samples from the site were sent to the forensic lab. The forensic report is awaited to confirm whether any other explosive material was present besides what was used for diffusing the object.
According to Dr. Vilas Gaikwad, the owner of the Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital, a female staff member discovered the bomb-like object inside the mens washroom on the first floor around 7 pm. Dr. Gaikwad placed the suspicious object, which had a timer set for 7.10, in a box in an open area outside the hospital and promptly informed the police.
The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) destroyed the object at the Gliding Centre in Hadapsar on Wednesday night.
Legal Proceedings and Motive
Based on a complaint filed by a hospital employee, an offence was registered at the Hadapsar police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 109 (1) (attempt to murder), 125, 288, and Section 4 (punishment for attempt to cause explosion, or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act.
Following clues obtained from CCTV footage and technical investigation, the Pune city police and Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) traced the accused and arrested him at the Nagpur railway junction while he was en route to West Bengal, intending to escape to Nepal. Police officials noted that the accused was facing financial difficulties and had visited the Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital on May 10 for treatment.
The doctors provided him with an estimate of the treatment cost, which may have led to a dispute with the medical staff. As a result, he decided to place a bomb-like object at the hospital and then contact the doctor to extort money for clearing his debts and undergoing treatment, according to the police.
Construction of the Dummy Bomb
Investigations revealed that the accused watched some YouTube videos and purchased a digital watch online. He collected wires and other materials from different locations to construct the "dummy" bomb. During a search of the accused's residence and shop, an empty case of the digital watch used in the bomb-like object was recovered.
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