Latest news with #RDX
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Top New IRA man' facing trial on explosive charges
Brian Carron accused of possessing military-grade RDX and PETN Alleged senior New IRA figure Brian Carron remained silent as a judge sent him for Crown Court trial on a series of possession of explosives charges. The 41-year-old sat with his arms folded in the video-link booth of Maghaberry Prison throughout the hearing at Omagh Magistrates' Court.
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
Akhilesh questions timing of Pahalgam terrorists' killings in LS—'why did it happen only yesterday?'
On 22 April this year, terrorists attacked tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley, killing 26 people. Security forces, including the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force, and the Jammu & Kashmir Police, have killed the three terrorists involved in that attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared in the Lok Sabha Tuesday. Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate, Akhilesh Yadav questioned not only the timing of the terrorists' encounter—coinciding with the parliamentary discussion on Operation Sindoor—but also the timing of the ceasefire announcement earlier this year, putting the brakes on India's military operation against Pakistan. Besides, he criticised the Modi government for its intelligence failure that made the Pahalgam terror attack possible. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav in the Lok Sabha Tuesday questioned the timing of 'Operation Mahadev', which, according to the central government, has neutralised the three perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. 'We are all happy … terrorists killed, and we support it. But who is reaping the political gain after all? They are asking why I am not thanking them for Operation Mahadev? When it came to giving support, all the political parties of the country were with you,' Akhilesh Yadav said in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor. However, he questioned, '… why did the encounter happen only yesterday?' Akhilesh Yadav also raised concerns about the investigations into terror attacks, asking, 'If you know so much about technology, why has the vehicle carrying RDX in Pulwama not been caught, to date? Even today, if the BJP wants, it can find the route that the vehicle took to arrive at Pulwama … Satellite images are available … Why are you not able to muster the courage?' Moreover, the SP chief questioned the timing of the ceasefire, saying, 'What was the reason for the government to declare a ceasefire?' He further said that everyone had hoped that the central government itself would declare the ceasefire. 'But since they have a deep friendship, the government asked its 'friend' [US President Donald Trump] to declare a ceasefire.' Recalling how every tourist was asking why there was no one in Pahalgam to protect them from the terrorists, Akhilesh Yadav said, 'The biggest question is who will take responsibility for the security lapse? The government that had claimed there would be no terrorist incident in Jammu and Kashmir post-abrogation of Article 370 and that tourism would spike?' He also said the central government should name the countries which stood behind Pakistan against India. During the debate, the SP chief also thanked the Army for its bravery. 'We are proud of our Army. The Army started its operation, attacking the terrorist bases of Pakistan, and also destroyed the Pakistan air base. Our Army could have taught Pakistan a lesson for good. Then, Pakistan would never have gathered the courage to do this [plan terror attacks on Indian soil] in the future'. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: How Op Mahadev unfolded: A day-by-day account of how the net closed in on Pahalgam terrorists
Time of India
4 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Bengaluru researchers develop durable sensor to detect explosives
Bengaluru: A team of researchers from the city has developed a sensitive and durable sensor that can detect explosives such as TNT and RDX at trace levels, offering new possibilities for real-world use in security and pollution monitoring. As per the department of science and technology (DST), the innovation — based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) — overcomes long-standing limitations in the field by improving both sensitivity and long-term stability. The breakthrough was achieved by Jil Rose Perutil, S Prashanth, Channabasaveshwar V Yelamaggad, Pavan Nukala, and Neena S John from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute of DST. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "The team engineered a multilayer nanomaterial combining reduced graphene oxide (rGO), silver nanoparticles, and cerium oxide on a glass substrate — each layer serving a distinct role in improving performance," DST said. Silver, though excellent at amplifying molecular "fingerprint" signals essential for SERS, tends to degrade in humid or warm environments. A protective coating of cerium oxide solves this by shielding the silver layer from environmental wear while enhancing charge transfer, further boosting signal clarity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Won't Believe the Price of These Dubai Apartments Binghatti Developers FZE Get Offer Undo The rGO layer, meanwhile, suppresses unwanted background fluorescence from silver, allowing the actual detection signal to stand out. "The researchers demonstrated the system's high sensitivity using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as a model analyte and achieved detection limits as low as 10 nanomolar. More significantly, the same platform could detect explosives like TNT and RDX at similar nanomolar levels," DST said. Tests in environmental chambers confirmed that the sensor maintained high performance even in extreme conditions — 90% humidity and 7 °C — showcasing its potential for rugged, field-ready deployment. "Developed using a physical vapour deposition technique, the sensor's fabrication process is uniform and scalable, suggesting commercial promise. With its combination of durability, simplicity, and precision, the team says the platform could be used in airport screening systems, defence applications, or even environmental monitoring where detecting trace contaminants rapidly is critical," DST added.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
State challenges Mumbai train blast acquittal, but appeals in key terror cases continue to face delays
The Maharashtra government recently announced its decision to challenge the Bombay High Court's acquittal of 12 men in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case in the Supreme Court. The government's decision to challenge acquittal and discharges in past terror cases, including its appeal against the discharge of nine accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, filed in 2016, has however seen little progress in the Bombay High Court over the past eight years. Interestingly, two of the men— Shaikh Mohammed Ali (57) and Asif Khan Bashir Khan (54)—acquitted in the train blasts case were also among those discharged in the Malegaon case. The Maharashtra ATS had named nine men in the 2006 Malegaon blast case. The accusations against these men of having carried out the blasts was first investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later endorsed by the CBI, which took over the case a year later. However, in 2011, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe, filed a chargesheet absolving the nine men, including Khan and Ali, of all charges. Instead, the NIA named four other individuals, allegedly members of a Hindu extremist group, as the main accused. The nine men were released from prison in 2016, but the state government immediately challenged their discharge. While the trial of the four Hindu men named by the NIA is ongoing and all four are currently out on bail, the high ourt's hearing of the state government's appeal against the discharge of the nine original accused has barely progressed. While the seven men who were freed in 2016, along with Khan and Ali, are now outside prison, the delayed legal process has left them in limbo, with the fear of returning behind bars still hanging over their heads. 'We have been living a free life for over nine years now. However, the fear of being called back to prison definitely looms over our heads. The appeal by the state government against our acquittal has hardly moved in all this time. While we are thankful that the judiciary discharged us from the case, I also believe that there is a need to fast-track cases so that people can get closure,' said one of the men discharged in the Malegaon 2006 blast case. 2006 was a pivotal year for Maharashtra when it came to terror-related incidents, marked by three major cases. First, in May, the Maharashtra ATS intercepted a Tata Sumo near Chandwad in Nashik district in the Aurangabad arms haul case, where police seized 43kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 rifles, 3,200 rounds of ammunition, and 50 hand grenades. Subsequently, on July 11, 2006, a series of blasts in Mumbai's suburban trains claimed 187 lives. Two months later, on September 8, 2006, four blasts in Malegaon killed 31 people. During its investigation, the Maharashtra Police arrested and put on trial 44 people in connection with these three cases. Among them, three accused Mohammed Faisal Attaur Rahman Shaikh, Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam, and Asif Khan Bashir Khan were common links across the incidents. Faisal was named in both the Aurangabad case and the Mumbai train blasts. While he was convicted in the Aurangabad arms haul case, he was acquitted in the Mumbai train blasts by the Bombay High Court. He is currently incarcerated in Aurangabad. Two other men, Asif Khan and Mohammed Ali Shaikh, were seen as main conspirators in both the Malegaon and Mumbai train blasts. Police alleged that they were central to Pakistani-sponsored subversive activities in India. In the Malegaon case, both men were accused of attending a meeting in July 2006 in Mumbai to plan the blasts, along with other co-conspirators and a few Pakistanis. They were also alleged to have taken these Pakistanis to Malegaon, where the bombs were assembled. These individuals then reportedly left Malegaon with Khan and Ali after assembling six bombs and storing them in a godown. Khan and Ali were among the nine men initially named in the Malegaon blasts before being discharged in 2016. Asif Khan Bashir Khan (54) – Status: Free The elder son of a scooter mechanic from Jalgaon, Asif Khan was locally known for his social activism, particularly on issues affecting slum dwellers. In 1996, at the age of 23, he took part in a protest against the demolition of homes in Khwaja Nagri. The protest turned violent, police opened fire, and two people were killed—one of them Asif's cousin—which spurred Khan's deeper involvement in activism. Later that year, Asif moved to Mumbai to work as a civil engineer. Police allege that around this time, he was radicalized, became a member of SIMI, and was in contact with Pakistani terror groups. He was arrested in 2006 and accused of procuring pressure cookers and assembling bombs for the Mumbai train blasts, including planting one at Borivali. He was also linked to the Malegaon blasts and accused of ferrying Pakistani nationals to Malegaon, who allegedly manufactured the bombs that exploded in the city. Khan, however, denied the charges, claiming he was at his Kandivali office on the day of the Mumbai train blasts. Shaikh Mohammed Ali (57) – Status: Free Shaikh Mohammed Ali was accused of traveling to Pakistan via Iran to receive subversive training. He was also accused of being part of the conspiracy and of allowing his residence in Govandi to be used for assembling the bombs used in the Mumbai train blasts, allegedly with the help of Pakistani nationals. He was further linked to the Malegaon blasts, accused of participating in the conspiracy and facilitating the travel of Pakistani individuals to Malegaon for planning the attacks. A resident of Shivaji Nagar ,one of Mumbai's poorest localities, Ali worked at a cooperative bank before moving to Dubai. He reportedly returned within a month and started a small business supplying Unani medicines. During this period, he was allegedly active in SIMI and had launched a campaign against video parlours in his locality. He had been previously booked for being a SIMI member and was summoned by police several times, including after the 2002–03 Mumbai blasts. According to investigators, his 100-square-foot home was used to assemble explosives and remained under constant police surveillance. Mohammed Faisal Attaur Rahman Shaikh (50) – Status: Incarcerated (Aurangabad Jail) Mira Road-based Faisal Shaikh, 50, was accused of heading the Lashkar-e-Toiba's (LeT) Mumbai unit and convicted for being the key financier of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts. He was accused of planning the conspiracy, acquiring hawala funds, harboring Pakistani operatives, assembling the bombs, and planting them. Faisal is the eldest of three sons of Attaur Rahman, who worked in Saudi Arabia. After spending time in Pune, the family shifted to Mira Road, where Faisal was allegedly indoctrinated by SIMI. Faisal is accused of conspiring as early as 1999 of waging a war against India by training Indian Muslim youth in terrorist activities. In June 2001, he obtained a valid Indian passport with the intention of traveling to Pakistan. Six months later, in January 2002, he allegedly crossed the border via the Samjhauta Express and trained with LeT operatives in Muzaffarabad and Lahore. He was also accused and subsequentyl convicted for being a part of a conspiracy in the Aurangabad arms haul case. Police claimed he was responsible for indoctrinating both his younger brothers. One of them—Muzammil (also arrested for the 2006 Mumbai train blast) was acquitted along with him while the other is reportedly absconding. His conviction in the Aurangabad case is the reason that he was not walked out free.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
CeNS researchers develop multi-layer nanomaterial to help detect harmful chemicals and explosives
Researchers from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) have developed an innovative multi-layer nanomaterial that can help detect harmful chemicals, including explosives like TNT and RDX, at trace levels. This innovation is expected to boost airport security and environmental pollution monitoring. According to the Department of Science and Technology, noble metals like gold and silver have traditionally been vital for signal enhancement. However, the high cost of gold and the poor long-term stability of silver remain significant obstacles to their commercial viability. The department said that in recent years, numerous methods have emerged to detect harmful chemicals that impact our daily lives. Among them, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has stood out for its exceptional sensitivity and reliability. 'SERS works by amplifying the molecular fingerprint signals of chemicals, allowing for precise identification even at extremely low concentrations,' it said. Now the CeNS researchers have developed an innovative multi-layer nanomaterial combining reduced graphene oxide (rGO), silver nanoparticles (Ag), and cerium oxide (CeO₂) on a glass substrate. The department said that each layer contributes a specific function, and the CeNS team fabricated the composite material using physical vapour deposition techniques, resulting in a uniform and scalable sensing platform. 'While silver nanoparticles are excellent at amplifying Raman signals, they are highly prone to oxidation, especially in humid or warm conditions—reducing their effectiveness over time. The coating of a thin layer of cerium oxide brings two key advantages. It enhances charge transfer between the material and the analyte, further boosting the fingerprint Raman signal of the analyte molecule and also acts as a protective barrier, shielding silver from humidity and temperature-induced degradation and ensuring long-term stability,' the department said. Environmental chamber tests revealed that the substrate maintained its high performance even under extreme conditions—90% humidity and 70 °Celsius—proving its exceptional stability and reliability. 'Meanwhile, the rGO layer plays a crucial role, effectively quenching the overwhelming fluorescence emitted by silver nanoparticles, which would otherwise drown out the distinct Raman fingerprints of the analyte. This clever suppression ensures that the true detection signals shine through with clarity and precision,' it added. The researchers demonstrated the material's high performance using 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) as a model analyte, achieving a detection limit as low as 10 nM. 'More impressively, the substrate demonstrated the ability to detect a wide range of explosives, including TNT and RDX, at nanomolar concentrations, highlighting its broad potential for trace-level contaminant detection,' the department said.
