Police recovered an explosives-laden vehicle from the Jessore Road area of Duttapukur on Wednesday night, prompting a multi-agency investigation involving the Special Task Force, the National Investigation Agency, the bomb squad and the National Security Guard. The vehicle’s owner, identified as Rakibul Islam, has been detained for questioning.
The recovery took place during the festival season, when the road corridor was carrying local and inter-district traffic. According to the report, investigators are examining where the gunpowder, chemicals and other explosive materials found in the vehicle were being taken. A source cited in the report said the vehicle was travelling towards Kolkata.
NIA sources cited by the report said the recovered explosives were not of high intensity. The materials have been sent for forensic examination. The testing is expected to establish their exact composition and help investigators determine whether they were capable of causing a significant blast.
The area was cordoned off after the recovery, with the NSG reaching the site during the night. The report also places the incident near the India-Bangladesh border, adding a border-security dimension to an investigation that is being conducted across local police and central agencies.
Investigators accompanied Rakibul to his residences and questioned family members, according to the report. Two mobile phones and a laptop were seized for examination. Authorities are checking whether the devices contain information connected with the vehicle, the materials recovered from it or their intended destination.
The report said Rakibul operates four motorcycle and car showrooms and owns two houses. It also recorded his claim that the recovered vehicle does not belong to him. That claim remains part of the investigation, and no conclusion about ownership or intent has been established.
The vehicle was reportedly parked outside one of Rakibul’s showrooms on the day of the recovery. Police arrived in the evening and found the explosives inside it. Investigators are now examining the vehicle’s ownership, movements and connection with the showroom and its operator.
The incident has raised immediate concerns about the movement of explosive materials through a busy road network linking Duttapukur with Kolkata. The recovery also highlights the operational demands placed on local police when a suspected explosives case involves multiple agencies, forensic examination and digital evidence.
Minister Dilip Ghosh, quoted in the report, said the authorities were taking action against the movement of explosives. His political remarks were not independently examined in the report. The investigation will continue with forensic testing, questioning of the vehicle owner and analysis of the seized electronic devices.
