Panic in Sambalpur after unattended bag found on roadside; bomb threat ruled out

A brief spell of panic gripped Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Sunday after an unattended bag was found lying on the roadside, triggering suspicion of a possible bomb threat.

The bag was spotted near the roadside in front of a mall on Budharaja Road, raising alarm among passersby. Acting with caution, locals immediately alerted the police to prevent any untoward incident.

Following the alert, police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure. Senior officials, including the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), along with the bomb disposal squad and dog squad, were deployed to examine the suspicious bag.

During the course of the investigation, a woman arrived at the spot with her family members and claimed ownership of the bag. She informed the police that she had travelled by car from Jharsuguda Airport and had inadvertently left the bag behind while boarding an auto-rickshaw. After reaching Dhanupali and realising the bag was missing, she retraced her route and returned to the spot in search of it.

After verification, the police confirmed that the bag did not contain any explosives or suspicious materials.

“The bag was found lying unattended on the road, which triggered panic among locals. However, before it could be examined, the owner arrived at the spot and claimed that she had accidentally forgotten it. After verification, the bag was identified and handed over to its owner,” said Srimanta Barik, Additional SP, Sambalpur.

With the threat ruled out, normalcy was restored in the area, and residents heaved a sigh of relief.