Live grenade found in Red Fort, removed

New Delhi: A live grenade found during the cleaning of a well in the Red Fort complex was safely removed by National Security Guard (NSG) commandos today,

The police has said that a thorough search is on for any other possible weapons, which may be lying around. Underwater cameras will also be used by the workers to detect any other explosives that may be lying inside the well.

According to a senior police official, the development took place when a sanitation drive was initiated in the area. The workers from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) spotted the grenade in the well around 6 pm. The police was immediately informed about the find and the National Security Guard (NSG) was also informed about the incident.

So far, just one explosive has been recovered from the site. The search for other explosives continued till late in the night.

“We have been using underwater cameras to scour the area. So far, there have been no traces of any other explosive. We are still trying to find out the date of manufacture and whether this was a live grenade,” the officer said. The explosive was removed by an unmanned robot deployed by the NSG. “The robot was covered with a bomb blanket to avert any human casualties,” the officer said.

In a similar incident, which took place three months ago, several ammunition boxes were found inside a well at the Red Fort. The accidental discovery of the ammunition came to the notice of the ASI during the cleaning process of the well behind the publication building.