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What initially appeared to be a routine recovery of gelatin sticks near Bengaluru’s Kaggalipura area has now taken a far more serious turn, with investigators probing whether a larger conspiracy was being planned ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city.

Sources linked to the investigation say police are now examining whether the recovered material was part of a possible attempt to trigger an explosion along or near the Prime Minister’s movement route. While officials have publicly confirmed only the recovery of gelatin sticks so far, investigators are believed to have also found electronic circuits and timer-related components that could potentially be used to activate an explosive device.

The development has raised fresh security concerns, especially because the recovery came shortly before the Prime Minister’s scheduled event at the Art of Living campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

According to sources, preliminary findings suggest preparations may have been underway to configure timing mechanisms for a possible blast. Investigators suspect that had detonators been attached and the timing system activated, the situation could have escalated into a major explosion attempt. Police action and timely detection are now being credited with averting what officials fear could have turned into a serious security incident.

The probe has intensified, with the Koramangala Police questioning several individuals, including police personnel linked to the early stages of the investigation. Late-night interrogations were also conducted as teams attempted to piece together the sequence of events.

The accused, identified as 42-year-old Lohith, is a resident of Koramangala 8th Block and a former IT employee who is currently unemployed. Police sources say he allegedly made a hoax threat call to the control room around 7:30 am on Sunday, claiming explosions would take place at HAL Airport and the Art of Living campus, where the Prime Minister was scheduled to attend an event.

A joint team from Koramangala and Suddaguntepalya police later detained him at a bus stand on Bannerghatta Road.

Investigators are also probing Lohith’s background from multiple angles after he reportedly claimed to be the son of a former Indian Space Research Organisation employee. During questioning, he allegedly made repeated statements saying, “The country is being ruined,” prompting police to examine his mental condition and possible motivations.

Police sources indicate that a preliminary inquiry suggested the accused may have been mentally unstable, though investigators are not ruling out other angles at this stage.

Meanwhile, the recovered gelatin sticks have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. CCTV footage from roads surrounding the recovery site is also being scanned to identify anyone who may have moved through the area between 6 am and 10 am on the day of the incident.

One major hurdle for investigators is that no CCTV camera was installed at the exact spot where the explosive material was found, making reconstruction of the timeline more difficult.

Authorities remain tight-lipped about the reported recovery of wires, circuits and timer components, but the possibility of a deeper conspiracy has now become a key focus of the investigation. Further probe is underway to establish whether the case was merely a hoax threat or part of a larger plot linked to the Prime Minister’s Bengaluru visit.