Paikpara residents wake up to bombs going off in club

Kolkata: Gangulypara, a neighbourhood in Paikpara, was jolted out of sleep on Saturday morning as multiple crude bombs, kept on the premises of a deserted club, went off one after another.Residents of the area said attempts were on to develop the land on which the club stood and that the members had been pressured into vacating the premises.
No one was injured in the blast. While people in the neighourhood claimed at least three bombs exploded, at an interval of five to 10 seconds, police said one or maximum two bombs burst. The impact of the explosion was such that it blew off the club's tin roof that landed on the terrace of a six-storey building. Those living in an apartment opposite the club said the windowpanes in the building vibrated. A fire broke out on the club premises, requiring firefighters to arrive at the scene.Apart from cops from the Chitpore Police Station, the detective department's bomb and dog squads and the fire department arrived. Police recovered around six bombs from Yuva Shakti Club and some chemicals, stored in two bottles."I startled out of sleep around 6.10 am amid a loud explosion. At first, I thought some incident was going on at a nearby building, which was being promoted. But within seconds, a second blast took place. I rushed out and saw that the club was on fire," said Rahul Rakshit, a resident of the area. "We thought it was a cylinder explosion but when we stepped out and looked around, it seemed the blast had taken place at a site, where some round objects were stacked together. I realised those were bombs. I was scared as my house is a stone's throw away. People in the area poured water to control the fire. Within 10 minutes, cops from the Chitpore Police Station arrived."With assembly elections barely a few weeks away, police acted swiftly and deployed their detective department units to probe the case. Footage from all CCTV cameras in the entire area is being scanned. Police said they were investigating the case from all angles, even as a forensic analysis of the crude bombs—those which went off and those which did not—was awaited.The club has apparently been deserted for the past seven-odd months, reportedly after the members were threatened into vacating the premises. People in the area suspect criminals entered the compound by breaching the wall in the back and left the explosives there. Two residents even conjectured that the bombs were kept there, possibly to be used in the fight over developing the spot. The people in the neighbourhood pointed out that a theft had also taken place at the club earlier but no one thought it was a security hazard. They pointed out that the property at present was unusable, no one took care of it.Srabani Banerjee, the president of Yuba Shakti Club, said, "We are shaken. As the explosion rang through the air, we went out to see the club on fire. Smoke had enveloped the place. We called the police and soon, the bomb squad arrived. Six bombs were recovered, three of which had exploded. For our safety, we will lodge a written complaint." Banerjee claimed kerosene oil was also stored in the club. "The rear wall of the club is weak. Someone breached it, entered the premises and left the bombs there. This explosion was an act of settling personal scores, as there is an attempt to promote this club. Several people are involved but I won't name them," said Banerjee. "We were told to vacate the club and were threatened in various ways. There have been thefts and vandalism, too." Tapan Guha, another resident of the area, said that more than a year ago, a cobbler-cum-cleaner was allowed to stay in this club. "But the place has been shut down for the past six months. We are extremely scared. My mother, who lives elsewhere, called me in a panic. I still can't believe bombs went off and several others were found stacked up in our peaceful neighbourhood, where I have been living for decades," Guha said.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !