New Delhi: Police on Tuesday said it may take
"some more time" to ascertain who left cartridges at
Ferozeshah Kotla stadium, that was found barely two hours
prior to the start of the cricket match between India and
Australia.
However, police emphasised there was "no security
issue" involved in the recovery of seven cartridges from the
second-floor bathroom of the stadium on Saturday.
A senior Delhi Police official said investigators
believe that a security personnel "accidentally" kept the
cartridges in the rest room and forgot to take when he left.
Asked whether they had identified the security
personnel involved if that is the case, the official said, "it
will take time. The personnel may be a little cautious and he
may not be forthcoming right now. But we will ascertain it."
"The personnel could be of the Delhi Police's Armed
Police or of any of the paramilitary force deployed at the
stadium. But at this point of time, we are not going to
speculate," he said.
The official said they have already registered a case
under Arms Act.
He also dismissed suggestions that it could be a
security drill saying, "If it was a drill, we would have come
to know about it later. We have registered a case and this
itself shows that we are serious about the matter."
The official, however, said they were investigating
the matter with an "open mind" as they are also looking into
if any private person had brought the cartridges inside the
stadium.
"We are not ruling out anything. We are probing all
angles," the official said.
Police have asked authorities to provide a list of
people who work in the stadium and also about those who have
access inside. No arrest has been made so far in connection
with the case.
The cartridges wrapped in paper were retrieved by the
personnel of bomb detection squad and dog squad around 12:30
pm, two hours before the start of the match on Saturday.
The matter was kept secret as it could have created
panic among people on the day of the match.
Bureau Report