Pune hospital bomb scare: Shoe seller arrested from train; planted IED to extort money for STD treatment

NAGPUR: A 35-year-old roadside shoe seller from Solapur, now living in Pune, was arrested from a train at Nagpur railway station on Friday for allegedly planting a low-intensity bomb at a private hospital in Pune on Wednesday.

What stunned investigators was the shoe seller's skill in assembling and planting the explosive in an apparent attempt to extort money for treating his sexually transmitted disease.

The accused, Shivaji Rathod, was nabbed from the general coach of Azad Hind Express by the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) following an extensive search operation involving police units from Pune, Akola and ATS teams at multiple railway stations.

Police said Rathod, who operates a small shoe stall and earlier worked at a mobile shop, had earlier visited Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital in Hadapsar in Pune to seek treatment for a sexually transmitted disease.

Doctors told him that the cost could be around Rs 8 lakh, which he couldn't afford due to mounting debts and financial difficulties, said ATS sources.

Investigators told TOI that Rathod hammered out a desperate plan to foot his medical bills. He allegedly planted a timed, low-intensity IED in the men's washroom near the ICU section of the hospital.

Police suspect the device was meant to trigger panic rather than cause casualties, after which he intended to make extortion calls to demand money.

However, the plan did not materialize. Before any harm could occur, hospital staff noticed the suspicious object and raised an alarm. Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was summoned, and the device was moved to an open area and defused, preventing damage.

The incident caused widespread panic in Pune as news of a bomb scare spread. Fearing arrest, Rathod allegedly fled the city. Police said he boarded a train towards Nagpur, but booked multiple tickets to mislead investigators.

Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar directed a swift investigation. Authorities used CCTV footage to zero in on the suspect. Photos and description of the suspect were circulated on WhatsApp to all law enforcement agencies.

Using technical surveillance and mobile phone location, it was found the suspect was on a train headed towards Nagpur that would not stop at Akola. Alerts were issued to Akola superintendent of police Archit Chandak and to Nagpur ATS teams. Following the alert, Akola police deployed nearly 25 personnel at Murtizapur station.

At Nagpur, ATS personnel screened all trains arriving from Pune before locating and detaining the suspect from general coach of Azad Hind Express, which stopped at Platform 4 of Nagpur station. The suspect tried to flee when he saw police entering the coach, but was overpowered and detained by ATS personnel. Officials are now interrogating Rathod to determine whether he acted alone and how he sourced the explosive materials. He is expected to be handed over to Pune police for further legal action.

Meanwhile, investigators are examining the chain of events, including how the explosive was procured, whether others were involved, and if there were any motives beyond attempted extortion.