The grenade and the bullets that were found in two abandoned plastic bags at Howrah station. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal

A hand grenade, 14 bullets and two bullet-heads were found in two abandoned plastic bags near the taxi stand in front Howrah station (old complex) on Monday night.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) seized the bullets and bullet-heads, while the grenade has been kept in an open space surrounded by sand bags. The army has been requested to take it away.

On October 19, 2007, an abandoned briefcase with a grenade inside was found near the taxi stand. A probe revealed the bag belonged to a jawan of 39 Assam Battalion, who was later detained.

A GRP officer said two seizures in four months suggest the station has become a transit point for arms smugglers. “Since grenades are mostly used by the military, a probe should be ordered to uncover the nexus between a section of armymen and the smugglers and militants.”

Sub-inspector Khelaram Mahato was on duty near the crowded taxi stand when he spotted the two plastic bags around 11pm on Monday. He immediately got in touch with his superiors and a GRP team rushed to the spot and seized the bags.

The bullets and bullet-heads were kept in the GRP’s custody and the grenade was shifted to the open space behind the railway museum.

In the morning, a GRP team, led by additional director-general Dilip Mitra and superintendent Sankar Singha, went the spot. The bomb disposal squad, too, arrived but did not defuse the grenade.

“We did not take the risk as there might be a booby trap inside. An officer had died when a grenade he was trying to defuse exploded,” said Mitra.

The officers “thought it wise” to ask the army to take away the grenade. Till late on Tuesday, Fort William did not send any team to Howrah.