Six Policemen Suspended in Bengaluru Gelatin Sticks Case Ahead of PM Modi Visit

Six Karnataka police personnel, including a sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector, have been suspended after explosive materials were recovered near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy route during his Bengaluru visit earlier this month.

The action was taken by Bengaluru South district Superintendent of Police R Srinivas Gowda following a preliminary inquiry into alleged security lapses during arrangements for the Prime Minister’s May 10 programme at the Art of Living Foundation on the city’s outskirts.

Officials said the suspicious materials were found near the Kaggalipura-Tataguni stretch off Kanakapura Road, part of the broader security sanitisation zone. A constable deployed for bandobast duty reportedly noticed a suspicious packet around 90 minutes before the Prime Minister’s convoy movement and alerted senior officers.

Police later recovered two gelatin sticks , batteries, wires, matchsticks, camphor and a crude timer-circuit assembly with an LCD display from the packet, triggering an immediate security alert.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) joined the probe, while Kaggalipura police registered a case under the Explosive Substances Act. Investigators are examining whether the materials were deliberately planted or abandoned.

Forensic findings reportedly indicated that the gelatin sticks were old, the timer mechanism was non-functional and no detonator was found, suggesting there may not have been an immediate blast threat. However, officials treated the incident seriously because it occurred during a Prime Ministerial visit involving extensive multi-layer security arrangements.

The incident has also sparked political criticism, with BJP leaders terming it a grave security breach and demanding accountability.