A few hours after this, at 2 pm, the police found a Wagon R loaded with ammonium nitrate used to make bombs.
Wasting no further time, Police Commissioner RMS Brar called a press conference to announce the findings and to request the public to stay indoors.
'Don't crowd public places,' was his instruction. Heeding his words, immediately cinema houses, malls and restaurants closed for the day. For the 'cleanest city in India', it was a new beginning and a wake-up call.
People did stay indoors and watched in horror the images of bombs being defused on TV from every nook and corner of the city. Even from a treetop.
On Varacha road, a car was found carrying four live bombs and 20 kg explosives. The police also found knives, packets of nuts and bolts, petrol, chemicals, detonators, timer devices and gelatin sticks. It was clear that everything had been assembled to kill/maim the maximum mumber and do the worst damage possible.
What followed was panic. The markets were closed; employees ran away from offices; lawyers ran home leaving cases mid-way.
Image: Investigators collect samples from a car with explosives.
Also see: 'Terrorism and riots are not interlinked'
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