Just three days before a high-profile renaming event at a Bengaluru bus station, attended by the Chief Minister and Deputy CM, six gelatin sticks and detonators were discovered in an abandoned bag inside a toilet at a private bus stand in KR Market on Wednesday afternoon.
The suspicious discovery near Kalasipalya—a bustling transit point in central Bengaluru—sent panic waves through the area, packed with traders and daily commuters. The incident triggered an immediate security alert, with the police’s anti-sabotage squad rushing to the scene.
Toilet supervisor Satvinder Singh spotted the unattended bag and handed it over to police. A search operation ensued, lasting over two hours. With the help of sniffer dogs, authorities combed the area, finding no additional threats.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Girish S confirmed the gelatin sticks were likely quarry-grade material. CCTV footage showed a man entering the toilet with a bag and leaving without it—raising suspicions that he abandoned it fearing police activity.
“It appears he panicked due to police presence and left the bag behind,” said DCP Girish, adding that efforts are on to identify and locate the individual seen in the footage.
A case has been registered under the Explosives Act, and heightened security measures are expected around the event venue in the coming days.
Officials are probing if the abandoned materials were intended for mischief or simply discarded out of fear.