Foot-long pipe bomb found in Kangeyam traffic signal

COIMBATORE: A one-foot long crude pipe bomb was found atop the switchbox of a traffic signal in Kangeyam in Tirupur district on Thursday evening. Though police said the bomb could not have been detonated, the discovery at a busy traffic junction caused quite a bit of apprehension for a few hours.
The bomb had two steel pipes stuffed with gelatin and was sealed with bolts.The pipes had an electronic detonator and wires but no switch mechanism or batteries to detonate it, said police. The police found a handwritten letter stating that the bomb was meant for BJP's Srirangam byelection candidate Subramaniam.
"The steel pipes contained gelatin but there was no mechanism to detonate it," said Tirupur superintendent of police Amit Kumar Singh. The object caused quite a lot of confusion and anxiety in Kangeyem and kept the police on their toes all evening. Police have formed special teams to nab the culprits.
What has perplexed the police more than the bomb is the accompanying letter that said the target of the bomb was BJP Srirangam candidate Subramaniam. "It is too early to comment on the motive. We are probing all angles,'' said Singh.