A grenade was found during the cleaning of a well in the premises of the Red Fort last evening, triggering a security scare.

The grenade was however removed by the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos on Friday, ending the panic that had broken out last evening when the explosive was discovered. The grenade had been taken away from the Red Fort to an undisclosed location with the help of an unmanned robotic vehicle covered with a “bomb blanket” to stop any accidental blast.

During a cleaning operation, the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found the grenade. A senior police official, said a barrier was drawn around the area and the NSG was called in after the ASI officials alerted the police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). DCP (North) Jatin Narwal, said “The grenade was safely removed today by the NSG. How old it is can only be ascertained once a detailed report is received from the NSG.” The sanitation drive in and around the well from where the grenade has been recovered had continued through the night. “The finding so far is limited to one grenade. But a thorough search continues,” said the officer. Underwater cameras are being used to search for more possible weapons. Whether the grenade was live or used has not been ascertained yet.

The incident comes just a few months, after a similar incident in happened in February, when bullets and boxes of explosives were found in a well, inside the Red Fort complex during a clean-up drive. Thousands of tourists visit the Mughal-built monument in the heart of Delhi, where Independence Day celebrations are held every year. Ever since the attack by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, in December 2000, the fort has been under heavy security. The lives of two soldiers and a civilian were forgoed in the attack.

SUPRAJA