161 explosive gelatin sticks found near Uttarakhand school spark major security alert

Security agencies in Uttarakhand have launched a massive investigation after 161 gelatin sticks — a powerful explosive material — were recovered just metres from a government school in Almora, sending shockwaves through the hill district and prompting an urgent security clampdown.

The discovery was made on Thursday evening when the principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Dabra, alerted police after students playing nearby noticed a suspicious object in the bushes. A police team arrived within minutes, cordoned off the area and summoned bomb disposal and dog squads, which recovered the explosives and collected forensic samples.

Police have registered a case under the Indian Explosives Act against unknown persons, with investigators now working to determine who placed the material near the school and why.

“Around 161 gelatin sticks were found in bushes near the school. The local police reached the spot and called the BDS team, which searched the entire area. An FIR has been registered under the appropriate sections. Further action is underway,”

Almora SSP Devendra Pincha confirmed, urging the public not to pay heed to rumours and assuring that verified information will be released as the probe progresses.

Officials noted that gelatin sticks are widely used in road construction and rock blasting, but the location and volume have raised serious concerns. Four investigative teams have been constituted, and multiple angles — accidental dumping, illegal mining, criminal activity or potential terror-linked motive — are being examined.

The recovery comes at a sensitive time, with security agencies on heightened alert nationwide after a series of major incidents linked to “white-collar terror” networks.

On November 10, Delhi Police recovered 2,900 kg of explosives near Al Falah University in Faridabad, followed hours later by the car blast near the Red Fort that killed 15 people and injured many, allegedly orchestrated by a Kashmiri doctor, Umar Un Nabi, and linked to a network of professionals.

Against this backdrop, the Almora seizure has triggered deep concern, especially given the proximity to a school.

While authorities stress there is no immediate indication of a terror plot, the investigation remains wide open — and the focus now is on tracing how 161 gelatin sticks reached a school perimeter and who orchestrated their placement.