Three more bombs found in Patna, CPI-ML rally disallowed

Three bombs were found in and around the Gandhi Maidan Tuesday, one barely half an hour before union Home Secretary Anil Goswami visited the spot that saw a string of explosions ahead of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally Sunday, police said.

"One after another, three bombs were found Tuesday," said Patna's Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj. The bombs were later defused.

In view of more bombs being found, Patna District Magistrate N. Sharvan Kumar said permission will not be given to the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist's (CPI-ML) proposed Khabardar rally in the ground Wednesday.

"I informed the party leaders that district administration will not give permission to hold their rally following three bombs being found and police officials suspecting presence of more bombs that can pose serious threat to people," he told media here.

The first bomb was found near S.K. Memorial hall, hardly 50 metres from Gandhi Maidan. The bomb was defused by the bomb disposal squad. The second bomb was found in the ground itself, and the third near the Magadh Mahila College, hardly 30 metres away, police officials said.

The first bomb was detected when a police team was on a drive to search for hidden bombs. "Immediately the bomb disposal squad defused it," a police official said.

Suspecting that more live bombs were in and around Gandhi Maidan, Manu Maharaj appealed to people to tell them if they spot any suspicious article. "Police have requested people not to touch any suspicious article and inform police immediately if they find anything," he said.

Police, till now, have recovered six live bombs from Gandhi Maidan. A series of blasts took place Sunday before Modi was to address a rally, leaving six people dead and over 80 injured. One of the terrorists has been arrested while another is in critical condition.