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Forensic officials inspect the site of an overnight bomb blast at a village, located near the Kudankulam nuclear power plant yesterday.
CHENNAI: The Police are investigating whether anti-nuclear activists were behind bomb blasts that killed six people near a nuclear power plant which started production in October despite protests by villagers.
At least two crude bombs exploded on Tuesday in a house just a kilometre from the Russian-built Kudankulam plant in the district of Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
Police have filed a formal investigation that names three people in connection with the explosions, Sumit Sharan, a senior police official in Tirunelveli, said. One of them died and two were wounded in the blasts.
“We are trying to find out if they are members of the anti-nuclear group,” Sharan said yesterday.
The much-delayed Kudankulam plant started producing electricity five weeks ago, with an initial output of 160 MW.
The plant, which should produce 2 gigawatts, has been dogged for a quarter of a century by opponents, including an anti-nuclear movement which sees it as a threat to the safety of villagers.
Unable to rely on a coal sector crippled by supply shortages and mired in scandal, India is pushing ahead with the construction of nuclear reactors despite global unease over safety.
The main anti-nuclear group in Tirunelveli denied any role in the explosions.
“We made it clear immediately that we have nothing to do with the bomb blasts,” said S P Udayakumar, founder of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy.
Udayakumar said he believed gangs involved in illegal mining were behind the blasts.
Reuters
