On Wednesday, 29th April, during the second phase of the elections in West Bengal, voting in Ketugram, Purba Bardhaman district, took a shocking turn when a bag full of bombs was discovered near a polling booth. The explosives were recovered close to Biruri Primary School, where people had been coming in large numbers to cast their votes.
Ketugram, West Bengal: During the second phase of polling in Ketugram Assembly constituency in Purba Bardhaman district, a bag containing fresh bombs was recovered near Biruri Primary School polling booth. Central forces secured the explosives, and CID bomb squad is set to defuse… pic.twitter.com/XwLEts1eXf
— IANS (@ians_india) April 29, 2026
According to initial information, around six live bombs were discovered inside the bag. As soon as the matter came to light, central security forces present at the polling site quickly moved in and secured the area. Soon after, a bomb disposal team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reached the spot and began the process to safely defuse the explosives.
The recovery of bombs during active polling has once again raised serious concerns about security arrangements in the elections. The presence of such explosives near a polling station has highlighted why heavy deployment of forces and multiple agencies had been put in place across sensitive areas.
Despite the scare, voters in West Bengal did not step back. People continued to come out and vote without panic. By around 1 pm, nearly 61% voting had already been recorded, and polling was still ongoing for several more hours.
Officials said that the situation remained under control after the explosives were secured, and voting continued without any major disruption.
