One person was detained after gelatin sticks were found on Sunday morning near the venue of an event that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended later.
Gelatin sticks are cheap, yet powerful explosives typically used in mining work, and need a detonator to go off.
According to the police, the gelatin sticks were found near the roadside amid routine security checks near Tataguni in the Kaggalipura area—close to the route taken by PM Modi's convey.
Modi on Sunday attended the 45th anniversary celebrations of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's The Art of Living centre in Bengaluru. The event also marked celebrations for the 70th birthday of the spiritual leader.
Hon. PM Shri Narendra Modi lauds the global impact of the Art of Living! pic.twitter.com/HuqUTV7dXI
— The Art of Living (@ArtofLiving) May 10, 2026
"This morning, before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival, during the checking, two gelatin sticks were found on the side of the footpath, nearly 3km away from the main venue where PM Modi was scheduled to arrive. Further investigation is underway," a statement from the police read.
This quickly put security agencies on high alert. They cordoned off the area while bomb disposal and forensic experts were rushed to the spot for examination.
Notably, the person suspected to be involved in placing the gelatin sticks in the area was picked up from a house near Koramangala after he allegedly phoned the local police station early in the morning to warn them that blasts might take place near the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Art of Living centre.
Following the alert, security agencies scanned both spots for explosives, a News18 report said.
The suspect will now be questioned throroughly to find out if more people were involved, if more gelatin sticks were hidden in the area, and most importantly, any possible reasons for the explosives being stored there.
From Bengaluru, PM Modi was next scheduled to leave for Hyderabad, where he was to inaugurate several development projects worth around Rs 9,400 crore from the afternoon onwards.
This includes several projects linked to the Centre's vision of Viksit Telangana for Viksit Bharat.
