7 injured as explosives go off outside an auditorium in Thane

Thane, Jun 5 (PTI) Four days after a low-intensity blast at a nearby theatre, explosives went off Wednesday in the in the parking lot of an auditorium here this eveningleaving seven persons injured.

Wrapped in a plastic bag, the explosives, whose nature was not immediately known, went off the at the parking lot of Gadkari Rangayatan at 1610 hours, Police Commissioner AnilDhere told P.T.I.

"It is definitely a deliberate act of mischief thoughthe intensity was not big," Dhere said.

The bag was found lying unclaimed at the spot and some theatre employees went near it to check its contents when itexploded, he said.

The explosion at the theatre came within four days of a low-intensity crude bomb containing gelatin sticks being found and later defused at the Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha in nearbyVashi.

The explosive was found at Vashi during the staging of the Marathi play "Amhi Pachpute", a satire which touches thepolitically hot subject of locals versus outsiders.

Incidentally, a show of the same play was to begin at theauditorium this evening.

Meanwhile, Dhere said traces of some explosive powder have been found at the spot while teams from the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and Forensic Experts are at workthere.

A plaster of paris false ceiling right above the spot where the bag was kept and some tubelights have been damaged in the explosion, Dhere said, adding there has however, been no damage to the wooden structure above it. PTI