Onlykashmir.in News Desk
A hand grenade found near a Hanuman temple in Chattyar village of Rajouri district was destroyed in a controlled explosion by a Bomb Disposal Squad after children spotted the suspicious object, officials said on Thursday. No damage was reported.
The grenade was noticed by children who were playing near the temple with construction material. The village head was informed and alerted the local police, following which a police team and a Bomb Disposal Squad were rushed to the spot.
The area was secured as a precautionary measure, and the explosive device was taken in hand by the bomb disposal team. It was later destroyed at an isolated location in a controlled explosion, officials said.
Preliminary information suggests that the grenade may have reached the village along with construction material transported from elsewhere. The circumstances under which the explosive device came to be present near the temple, however, have not been conclusively established. Police have initiated an investigation to determine the origin of the grenade and how it reached the area.
The incident is a reminder of how quickly a routine moment can turn into a safety concern when unidentified objects are found in public places. Children are especially at risk because they may pick up or play with items they do not recognise. The alertness of the local residents, and the prompt decision of the village head to inform the police rather than touch or move the object, ensured that a potentially dangerous situation was handled without harm.
Bomb disposal teams follow established procedures in such cases. They typically cordon off the affected area, keep people at a safe distance, assess the device and then neutralise or destroy it at a secluded location. Residents are generally advised by the authorities not to touch suspicious objects, to keep children away from them and to report them to the nearest police station immediately.
Construction sites and building material depots can sometimes become unintended routes through which stray objects travel from one place to another, which is why investigators are looking at the movement of the material as one possible explanation. Until the inquiry is complete, it would be premature to draw any conclusion about how the grenade reached the temple premises or whether anyone was responsible for leaving it there.
Villagers in Chattyar are likely to await the findings of the police investigation, which should clarify the source of the explosive device and whether further precautions are required in the area. For now, officials have confirmed that the device has been destroyed and that the area is safe.
