Very 'saree', don't panic!

NT CORRESPONDENT
BENGALURU

Oct 13 | 8.15 PM

If there's one thing that sets people off in these terror-stricken times, its abandoned suitcases. And right here on busy B V K Iyengar road, were not one but two suitcases. Locked and loaded! At least that's how it seemed to passersby in the busy City Market area, swarming with festival shoppers. The first ultra slim suitcase, was lying on the footboard of a scooter near the tempo stand at Balapet, opposite Abhinaya theatre. The second, on the other side of the scooter. Were they bombs? Had ISIS- Khorasan's long hand reached the IT capital, targeting one of its busiest areas, Chickpet?

Within minutes of panicked shopkeepers alerting the police, a small swarm of police descended on the scene, with a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs pressed into service. Traffic was diverted and everyone downed their shutters. 

The bomb squad used long prongs to pick up the suitcases and transport it to an open field, where the sleuths took at least three hours before they could snap open the locks after they had decoded the number lock combination. 

And that's when everyone breathed...inside the suitcases were - wait for it - no live ticking bombs, but sarees, towels, bedsheets and dress materials!  

Police have found an identity card of Madhura Orchestra in one of the suitcases. But with over 3000 shops including wholesale clothes selling shops, electric items and other shops in the area, it may be difficult to track down the owner of the suitcases, and figure out whether he was a prankster or just forgetful. 
"The diversion and the restriction had to be made as a precautionary measure. We are going through the CCTV footage in the vicinity to check who had left the suitcase. Possibility of mischief mongers to create panic is also being checked,” said an officer who was part of the team.