Soldier Held at Srinagar Airport With 2 Grenades, Says They Were for 'Fishing'

Srinagar: Srinagar: Passengers boarding a Delhi bound flight escaped an alarming situation had the anti-hijacking squad at Srinagar airport not arrested a soldier carrying live grenades just in the nick of time.

The arrested jawan serving near the Line of Control (LoC) was trying to smuggle two live grenades Monday morning into country's highly secure airport.

"We arrested him near the drop gate," a police officer told New 18 moments after he was taken to nearby Humhama police station for interrogation.

"An FIR has been lodged. We are investigating into the matter and action as per law will be taken against him," Dr SP Vaid, director general of police, Jammu and Kashmir told reporters.

Police sources said he was proceeding on leave for his home in Darjeeling via Delhi.

"He had carried the grenades all the way from Uri and was supposed to carry them to Delhi. Why and for whom. We are trying to find out," a police officer who is part of interrogation said.

The army reporting at the police station, source said, told investigators that the grenades were drill items and marked red as per the procedure.

But the police was not convinced as the soldier had neither any supporting letter/documents nor did he try to declare the items at the security counter.

"That has made the entire episode fishy," sources said.

Police even cited rules saying no explosive material can be carried in any civil aircraft by any individual unless cleared by top airport authority officials.

"That happens in rare case if the individual is a VVIP," the officer added.

He said prima facie the soldier has named an officer allegedly for giving him the grenades.

"We are carefully examining all the information he has provided."

"We want to know how grenades landed into his hands. Every article, bullet or ammunition is accounted for in the forces. How he got the grenades is a mystery which would be unravelled soon," he said.

The Army too assured action.