Car with crude bombs intercepted at UP Raj Bhawan gate

Lucknow, Feb 14 (IANS) A car driver Saturday afternoon tried to enter the official residence of the Uttar Pradesh governor with three crude bombs in the car but was intercepted by security personnel at the gate of the bungalow, police said.

The incident happened around noon when a man identified as Ranjeet Sharma, resident of Mohanlalganj, tried to get past the security cordon at gate number 2 of Raj Bhawan on Mahatma Gandhi Marg.

He was asked to stop by the security men deployed there and three crude bombs were recovered from the rear of the car (UP 32 FT 0109).

The car driver was immediately taken into custody and handed over to the local police for interrogation.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Raj Bhawan, Anjum Naqvi, told reporters that jury members of a two-day fruit and vegetable exhibition beginning February 21 were scheduled to arrive at the governor's house Saturday. The car was apparently hired by someone from the jury.

The driver said that the car had been hired for a marriage Friday and some crackers were carried in it. He told police officials that the bombs were possibly left behind by mistake.

Senior district police officials, however, said that they would not let off the driver till they are satisfied that he was telling the truth. His family was also called to Hazratganj police station along with the owner of the car, DIG (Lucknow) R.K. Chaturvedi told IANS.