Jharkhand Police seek army help to defuse suspected WWII-era bomb

The Jharkhand Police will seek assistance from the Indian Army to defuse a suspected World War II-era unexploded bomb recovered from the bank of Subarnarekha river in East Singhbhum district, officials said on Saturday (March 21, 2026).

East Singhbhum SP (Rural) Rishav Garg said the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) from Ranchi inspected the site in Baharagora on Thursday and found the device to be “active” and heavy.

“The BDDS team is trained to handle IEDs and small explosives. However, they assessed that the old bomb is still active and requires the expertise of the Indian Army for safe disposal,” he said.

SSP Piyush Pandey has written to the Army, seeking assistance from its bomb disposal unit, Garg said, adding that the device appears to be from the World War II period, though its origin is yet to be confirmed.

Mr. Pandey told PTI that necessary procedural formalities were being completed for disposal of the ammunition.

The BDDS unit informed the police that the “powerful bomb cannot be disposed of using standard procedures” and requires advanced technical expertise available with the Army.

Baharagora Police Station officer-in-charge Shankar Prasad Kushwaha said the area has been cordoned off, and villagers have been warned against approaching or tampering with the object.

According to police sources, the bomb, resembling a gas cylinder, was unearthed during sand excavation along the Panipada-Nagudsai stretch.

Markings on the object, including ‘AN-M64 500 lb… American… unexploded’, suggest it could be an old U.S.-made bomb, they said.