Mumbai : While search operations in Uran are still under way, there has been little success in tracing the five suspicious persons who were reportedly seen by two students at Kumbharwada in Uran.
Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai said, “The Uran operations are under way and there has been no success so far.”
Meanwhile, there were rumours doing the rounds that terrorists were traced in Panvel. However, Nagrale said that rumours of suspicious elements being arrested in Panvel is false and requested people not to believe in uncorroborated information. Nagrale said the persons were only truck labourers and all other speculation was fake.
A trio of Kashmiris sporting army-style fatigues sparked panic among security agencies who detained them in Panvel here on Saturday afternoon, an official said. They were later allowed to go after the antecedents were checked. The incident happened near Gavhanphata when the trio was found near a container truck wearing army type uniforms and CISF troopers, passing in a bus, accosted them.
The three were taken to the Panvel police station and thoroughly questioned, said Senior Police Inspector Sunil Bajare, and the truth finally emerged. Earlier, there were rumours on social media that three terrorists had been traced by the Samata Nagar police station in Kandivali (E).
Satish Mathur, Director General of Police, Maharashtra said, “If there is any significant development in the Uran operation, we shall issue an official statement. People should not believe in any rumours.” Regarding “terrorists” being traced in Kandivali, Mathur said “It is a rumour.”
Ajay Kumar Landge, Senior Police Inspector, Vashi police station denied rumours of schools and colleges being closed for the next 2-3 days and said that schools and colleges in and around Vashi have been “functioning normally and people are going about their normal life as usual.”
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, a professional at a shipping company,Madhura Karangutkar (27), resident of Bori village in Uran, said, “Ferries have been functioning normally ever since the day that the news broke out regarding suspicious elements being found in Uran. The locals have not been restricted by the police or any other agencies to not venture out of their homes. I have been travelling everyday to my work place in Andheri from Uran. The local markets and shops are also open and people have been commuting to work. Life is normal here.”
On Thursday night, the Navi Mumbai police had issued two sketches of suspects to its Mumbai counterparts, who too had fortified the city. The students had overheard the masked-men of blowing up a school and ONGC as reported to the police.
Two days after a high alert was sounded off the Mumbai coast and adjoining areas, the multi-agency search is on although the Navy called off its operation on Friday.
