Unclaimed bag in Varanasi village triggers panic

Lucknow, Feb 27 (IANS) A large unclaimed bag containing items resembling army shells was recovered from a village field in Varanasi district in Uttar Pradesh Friday, triggering panic, police said.

Police was rushed to Marui village in Cholapur area where the bag was found.

Since Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, security forces were asked to step up vigil, an official said.

An official told IANS that when the items inside the bag were feared to be explosives or had radioactive markings, teams of the National Investigation Agency and the National Disaster Response Force were also rushed to the site.

Director General of Police A.K. Jain said the inspector general (IG) Varanasi who was on way to the state capital to attend 'Police Week' that began Friday, was asked to stay put in Varanasi and oversee the investigations.

Jain said the bag would be sent to the Crisis Management Centre at the Banaras Hindu University where experts will examine its contents.

Local police authorities told IANS that villagers have testified that "some guests" at former village head Bhaiyya Lal's house left the bag in the field.

The village head has since gone missing but his family is being interrogated. Some eye witnesses told police that there were also some weapons and rounds of ammunition with the bag.

However, police said no arms were recovered. People have been asked to come forward and give information about the incident, police officials said.

The area has been thrown out of bounds for common people.