2 more held in Vadali blast case; Gelatin stick used as explosive

Sabarkantha: Banaskantha Local Crime Branch (LCB) has made two additional arrests in connection with the Veda parcel blast incident, which resulted in the deaths of a man and his daughter and injured two others.

The main suspect, Jayanti Vanzara, was apprehended immediately after the incident, while his cousins Ajay and Jitendra Vanzara, who supplied the gelatin sticks, were arrested on Friday.

Jayanti (34) of Karunda village, Khedbrahma taluka of Sabarkantha, confessed to purchasing the gelatin sticks from his cousins Ajay and Jitendra and later concealing them inside a speaker used in the blast.

Vadali police noted that this incident on May 2 was not the first time gelatin sticks were employed for homicidal purposes.

Sub-inspector Jitendra Rabari of Vadali police told a newspaper that these gelatin sticks are easily obtainable for approximately Rs 150 to Rs 200 each. A simple letter from the village head (Sarpanch), detailing the purpose, is sufficient for acquisition. While sellers require a license from the district collector, purchasers do not.

At a cost of ₹150 per piece, a gelatin stick proves to be an inexpensive yet deadly weapon. Police disclosed that since 2008, there have been at least six incidents of blasts involving gelatin sticks intended for fatal outcomes. Four individuals lost their lives, two were injured, and in one instance, a gelatin bomb found in a Bhavnagar school in 2018 was successfully defused. DeshGujarat