Two days after a “bomb-like” object was found at the Ushakiran Superspecialty Hospital in Pune’s Hadapsar, the probe by the Pune city police, Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and intelligence agencies has found there was no explosive material in the device.

Police said it was a “dummy bomb” placed in the hospital by a financially distressed man, who wanted to extort money from doctors.

The ATS nabbed the suspect identified as Shivaji Rathod, aged around 30 years, from Nagpur railway junction on Friday. Police said there was no terror angle to the case. Hailing from Solapur, the accused is married and lived in Pune.

According to Dr Vilas Gaikwad, owner of the hospital, a woman staffer spotted the “bomb-like” object inside men’s washroom on the first floor around 7 pm. Dr Gaikwad kept the suspicious object, with a timer showing a time of 7.10, in a box in an open space outside the hospital and informed the police within a few minutes. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) neutralised the object at the Gliding Centre in Hadapsar on Wednesday night.

Based on a complaint filed by a hospital employee, a case was lodged at the Hadapsar police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 109 (1) (attempt to murder) and Section 4 (punishment for attempt to cause explosion, or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act.

Teams of Pune city police and ATS checked videos captured by CCTV cameras at the hospital and several other locations. Police focused on about 15 persons seen in CCTV footage, but later zeroed in on Rathod, who was spotted moving suspiciously in the hospital.

Pune city police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “Analysis of CCTV footage and technical data confirmed the name of the accused by Thursday afternoon. Search was conducted at his residence and shop, when we found an empty case of the digital watch used in the bomb-like object. He had ordered the digital watch online…”

“While the accused was on the run, his family, his friends and others who knew him at locations like Manjari, Mundhwa, Kalepadal and Hadapsar were questioned. Finally it was learnt that the accused was trying to escape by train. He was detained at Nagpur railway junction with the help of ATS. Procedure to bring him to Pune is on,” Kumar said.

The police commissioner said there was prima facie no explosive content found in the “bomb-like” object. “It was not an actual bomb. The accused planned to extort money from doctors by placing it,” he said.

Police earlier defused the object using explosives. The soil at the spot after it was defused has been sent to the forensic lab. “Forensic report is awaited and it will confirm whether any other explosive content than what we used to defuse it was present,” he said.

Police said the accused was facing financial problems and had been to the hospital on May 10 for treatment. The doctors gave him an estimate of the cost of treatment. It may have led to a dispute with the doctors. He then decided to place a “bomb-like” object at the hospital to extort money from doctors to clear his debts and meet his treatment cost, police said.

Probe revealed after watching some YouTube videos, the accused purchased a digital watch online, procured wires and other material from different spots for making the “dummy” bomb.

During investigation, police reached a shop where the accused purchased a two-way tape by paying Rs 15 through Gpay. It provided leads to the police for tracing the accused.

Police carried out searches at Manjari, then at Pune railway station, but he fled from these spots. The Akola police then tried to nab him near Murtizapur. He again escaped, but was finally held in Nagpur. Probe revealed the accused was on his way to Howrah in West Bengal, from there to Nepal.

Accused Shivaji Rathod had taken a shop on rent of Rs 5,000 per month in Manjari area about three months ago. The shop “The Real Collection” sold items such as shoes, track pants, T-shirts, belts.

Police said that in the CCTV footage at the hospital, Rathod is seen with a thick beard and mustache. But, after placing the “bomb-like” object, Rathod got a haircut and shaved his beard and mustache at MZ Men’s Saloon, located adjacent to “The Real Collection”.

The barber told police after shaving, Rathod left the place without making payment, saying he did not have money. “He said he would pay the money soon and left… Now, we came to know that he has been arrested for placing a ‘bomb’ at a hospital,” the barber said. The barber said Rathod also often resided at the “Mauli Mobile Shoppe” run by his friend opposite his shop.

Police suspect Rathod purposely changed his looks to evade investigators. Police conducted searches at “The Real Collection” as well as “Mauli Mobile Shoppe” on Thursday. Police sources said some marijuana was recovered from at the mobile phone shop.

The owner who had rented both the shops said, “Rathod only gave a deposit of Rs 5,000 initially, but did not give any rent thereafter. So I locked the shop some days before and asked him to clear the rent.” Police said there was no rent agreement between Rathod and the shopowner.