Mannanthala bomb blast portends dangerous rise of gang criminals in Thiruvananthapuram

A youngster’s hand got dismembered in a gore incident that shocked the capital city on Wednesday. A bomb blast took place accidentally during the manufacture of homemade bombs in Mannanthala. This should be augured as a sign of emerging gang violence in the capital city, that too at the onset of the election season. Both palms of a 17-year-old teen were severed and shattered in the blast while four other youngsters suffered minor injuries.

It was daytime on Wednesday when the blast stunned Mannanthala. The accused were trying to create homemade bombs in the backyard of an isolated house when the bomb came off the cuff. Preliminary investigation says the bomb-making was part of the rivalry between two gangs, while some reports say it was intended to attack the police station.

Police portend that the city would have witnessed a massive bomb blast attack in the coming days if not for the accidental blast that doused all other plans. The fact that all the accused are under the age of twenty doubles the seriousness of the incident. Teens of this age are lured into crimes and would go to any extent at a whim without even pondering over the later consequences. Such is the dangerous audacity now creeping into the minds of youngsters in the state. The investigation into the case should also extend towards the kingpins of the gang, who are pulling the strings keeping the youngsters as shields.

Vacant homes in the capital and suburbs are often havens for gangsters to gather, plot, and hide weapons. If for some proper patrolling by police forces, many such incidents could have been averted. It is a long-time practice of police to lose the initial steam when the case goes deeper into the gang criminals. It is better not to start talking about the unholy nexus still existing between several gang leaders and police officials in the state. This covert pact with police helps gang criminals to go on a wild spree of violence in the state with impunity, threatening the peaceful existence of residents.

By building bombs in vacant fields, the debris they leave behind can lead to the loss of many innocent lives. Many such events have taken place in Kannur and other places. Another worrying scenario is the rampant cash flow now flooding Thiruvananthapuram; as the city is treading on the path of massive development. It is doubted that a lion’s share of this money goes to the pocket of gang criminals in the city, at the auspices of powerful kingpins and politicians. This should be curbed.