Central agencies, states roped in for probe into recovery of

Taking a serious view of recovery of foreign make bullets, suspected to be of Pakistan origin, in Kollam district, the Kerala government has roped in the Central agencies and other states for the probe which will be monitored by its anti-terror squad DIG.

Director General of police Loknath Behera on Sunday said the investigation in the case had been handed over to the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the central agencies informed about the bullets and their assistance sought.

A day after the 14 live bullets were abandoned in Kulathupuzha, around 60 km from here bordering Tamil Nadu, a two-member team of the Military Intelligence from Ernakulam reached the town for investigation on Sunday, police said.

Police sources said the bullets bore an inscription POF and it was suspected to be the acronym for Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF). However, no official information about it has been made so far.

Behera said ATS Deputy Inspector General of Police Anoop Kuruvila would monitor the probe from Kulathupuzha.

"We have handed over the investigation to the ATS yesterday itself. We need to coordinate the probe with other states also. I have discussed the matter with my counterparts," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Though he did not elaborate on which are the states, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which share borders with Kerala, are likely to be among those involved in the probe.

"We have also informed the central agencies about the matter. We need their assistance since there are some markings of foreign-make on the bullets," Behera said.

He had on Saturday said the pack containing 14 bullets was spotted by two civilians in Kulathupuzha and the ammunition was found to be of foreign make.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the bullets are of foreign make. The Anti-Terror Squad will probe the matter," he had said in a release late Saturday.