Gelatin Sticks Found Along PM Modi’s Convoy Route in Bengaluru; One Detained After Threatening Call to Police
Bengaluru, May 10, 2026: A routine but tense Sunday morning in Bengaluru turned into a full-scale security operation after two gelatin sticks were found in a bag near the convoy route of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the city to attend the 45th anniversary celebrations of the Art of Living Foundation on Kanakapura Road.
The discovery set off a coordinated response by Bengaluru and Ramanagara police, and put the country’s premier security agencies on edge. even as the Prime Minister’s schedule proceeded without disruption.
The Threatening Call That Triggered It All
At around 7:30 in the morning, a man placed a call to a local police station with a chilling warning: he would “blast” Modi as the Prime Minister arrived in Bengaluru. The caller was a 40-year-old resident of Koramangala, and police who received the call were not entirely surprised. The man had made similar threatening calls in the past during VVIP movements in the city and was known to officers as a person with a history of mental instability.
Despite his track record, the police could not afford to dismiss the call outright not on a day when the Prime Minister was scheduled to travel through the outskirts of the city. They immediately put multiple agencies into motion.
Airport Swept Clean, But the Road Told a Different Story
Along with the bomb squad, security personnel thoroughly screened HAL Airport, where Modi was scheduled to land. The sweep came up empty. PM Modi landed at HAL Airport at around 10:30 AM and was addressing a group of senior party leaders when the situation on the ground changed sharply.
While the Prime Minister was still inside the airport, Ramanagara police were methodically checking both sides of the convoy route on Kanakapura Road. At a spot near Kaggalipura, close to the Tataguni Estate, the historic property once owned by renowned painter Svetoslav Roerich and legendary actress Devika Rani, officers found a bag lying roughly 50 to 60 metres off the road. Inside were two gelatin sticks.
The location was significant: it was approximately one kilometre from where the convoy was to deviate off the NICE Road and turn onto Kanakapura Road, the stretch leading directly to the Art of Living Foundation campus where Modi was headed.
Police cordoned off the area, and bomb disposal and forensic experts were rushed to the spot. An Anti-Sabotage Check team was also pressed into service to sweep the entire road leading to the venue, ensuring no further explosives were hidden along the route.
Back in the city, Bengaluru police moved to the Koramangala residence of the man who had made the morning call and brought him in for questioning.
The Investigation: More Questions Than Answers
DIG (Central Range) S. Girish, who is overseeing the case, said investigators were working to establish whether the gelatin sticks actually belonged to the detained man or were placed there by someone else entirely or were simply abandoned material with no link to any threat at all.
That last possibility is not as far-fetched as it may sound. The Kanakapura Road belt is dotted with stone quarries, and gelatin sticks are commonly used for mining work in that region. They are cheap, powerful, and widely accessible in quarry areas. Officers familiar with the terrain also pointed out that locals occasionally steal gelatin sticks from quarries and use them as bait for wild animals, particularly wild boars by hiding them inside meatballs.
Given the dense, forested areas running alongside that stretch of road, police have not ruled out the possibility that the bag was stashed in the jungle by someone with no connection to Modi’s visit whatsoever.
The detained man, for his part, has made multiple threatening calls in the past and has consistently turned out to be harmless. Police suspect there may be no connection between his call and the gelatin sticks found on the route.
The Larger Picture
PM Modi was in Bengaluru to attend the 45th anniversary of the Art of Living Foundation, founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event also marked the spiritual leader’s 70th birthday. Modi addressed the gathering and praised the Foundation’s global reach.
The event passed without incident. The Prime Minister’s security detail ensured the route was clear before the convoy moved, and Modi reached the venue and returned without any security breach.
As of Sunday evening, the gelatin sticks have been sent for forensic examination. Police are expected to question the detained man further and cross-check his movements against the location where the bag was found. The investigation remains open, and authorities say they are not treating it as a closed matter until forensics return a clear answer on the origin of the explosives