Ghaziabad (UP): Twelve rocket shells were today (Oct 5, 2004) found abandoned by the roadside in neighbouring Bulandshahr district, five days after a similar shell exploded in a steel factory in Ghaziabad killing 10 labourers.

"Twelve rockets were found this morning lying by the roadside on the Khurja-Aligarh road near Gawana police station," Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police R P Singh said, adding one could be an anti-aircraft weapon.

He said a villager had alerted police about the presence of the shells.

"We are probing the matter elaborately and Army officials in Meerut have also been informed. Only after they come, things will become clear," he said.

Singh said it was likely that the shells had been unloaded from a truck.

"There was a huge traffic jam on the road last night (Oct 4) following an accident. It seems that this morning, the driver and others in the truck became aware of police presence to clear the jam.

"Maybe they feared a surprise checking and decided to unload the shells and abandon them near the roadside," he said.

Singh said, it was too early to draw conclusions about the likely origin and destination of the consignment and police was keeping "all probabilities in mind."

Police, last evening, found two live rockets at the Massoorie Industrial Area near Ghaziabad.

Ghaziabad Superintendent of Police (city) Umesh Shrivastav said, the rockets were similar to those found in the iron scrap at the Bhushan Steel Factory on Sep 30, where 10 persons were killed following an explosion.

District Magistrate Santosh Yadav has ordered searches of iron scrap in 16 steel factories in the vicinity to check for explosives.

These 16 companies export iron scrap for different countries, he said.

Meanwhile, labour organisation CITU (Council of Indian Trade Unions) continued their protests against the owners of Bhushan Steel Co and demanded the arrest of Chairman and directors of the company.

CITU also demanded an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the families of 10 deceased and Rs two lakh for all injured.