PETN found in UP Assembly: NIA visits site, makes thorough assessment

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Friday visited the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Hall and made a thorough assessment of the scene where the explosive substance Penta-Erythritol Tetra Nitrate (PETN) was found.

The team comprised of an NIA explosive expert and the forensic experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh.

The team also had a discussion with the officials of the Home Department of Vidhan Sabha, the police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), on various aspects of the alleged recovery of the PETN.

The NIA took up the investigation on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

On July 14, the PETN was recovered from the Assembly, following which a sample of it was sent to forensic lab for testing.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while confirming that the PETN was indeed found, pressed for more vigilance in the state, more particularly in the Assembly and rued the absence of a Quick Response Team (QRT).

He then sought for a NIA probe into the matter.