A security alert was triggered in Jammu and Kashmir after a six-year-old boy picked up a suspicious object from a garbage dump, which later turned out to be a Chinese-made telescope capable of being mounted on a weapon, prompting police recovery and intensified checks near a sensitive area.
Jammu Rural Police recovered the device from the Sidhra area on Sunday after being alerted by the child’s family. Officials said the telescope, designed to be fitted with a weapon, was secured following preliminary verification.
Police teams, along with personnel from the Special Operations Group, have launched a detailed enquiry to establish how the device reached the area and whether it was abandoned deliberately.
According to officials, the six-year-old boy from the Asrarabad locality of Sidhra had picked up the object earlier in the day from a nearby garbage dump. During questioning, the family told police that the child had no knowledge of what the object was.
Authorities moved swiftly to take custody of the device and seal off the immediate surroundings as a precautionary measure.
Security has been strengthened in and around Sidhra following the recovery, as the area also houses the National Investigation Agency office. Officials said the device was found not very far from the NIA premises, adding to concerns over its presence in the locality.
Police have urged residents not to panic, saying there is no immediate threat and that all necessary measures are in place.
In a separate incident on Sunday, police detained a 24-year-old man, Tanvir Ahmad, from village Diani in Samba district for questioning after a Pakistani phone number was found on his mobile phone.
Ahmad is a resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir and had been staying in Samba, officials said. Further questioning is underway to verify the nature of his contacts and movements.
Authorities said investigations in both cases are ongoing and action will follow based on findings.
