Panaji, Oct 17 (IANS) A red alert was declared in Goa Friday night after two people were injured in a low intensity blast in Margao town of the state, officials said.
Police suspect the injured were members of the Sanatan Sanstha, a right wing organisation, whose associates were recently arrested for carrying out similar blasts in Maharashtra.
One of the injured, Malgondi Patil, who was admitted to the Goa Medical College near Panaji, later succumbed to his injuries. However, his partner Yogesh Naik was in a critical condition at the hospital, police said.
Officials said the headquarters of the organisation, located in the temple town of Ramnathi in Ponda region of Goa, was being searched by a police team about an hour and a half after the blast.
The blast took place when the duo were traveling on a Honda Eterno scooter, when the bagful of country made explosives exploded near Grace Church in Margao, where some effigies of Narkasur-a mythical demon, which is symbolically burnt tonight to celebrate the victory of good over evil, were being burnt.
Police superintendent Atmaram Deshpande said the red alert was declared a few minutes after the blast and that it would remain until the situation stabilises.
Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports of a satchel full of electrical circuits found in Sancoale, near the port town of Vasco in South Goa. Reports also suggested that the police had arrested the owner of the scooter called Nishad Bakhle in connection with the incident.
