Bikers hurl bomb at SUV amid traffic on Chennai's Anna Salai

CHENNAI: Two men on a bike threw a crude bomb at an SUV at Teynampet on Anna Salai on Tuesday afternoon, unmindful of passing traffic on the city’s main road.
On Monday night, a youth wielding a long knife sent shoppers at Spencer Plaza, one of the city’s oldest malls also situated on Anna Salai, running helter-skelter.
The two incidents, in the heart of the city and in full public view, raise questions about security in Chennai.They happened right under the nose of the police. The bomb attack took place just metres from the Teynampet police station and around half-a-kilometre from the US Consulate, a high-security zone. And there’s a police station opposite Spencer Plaza. The bombs narrowly missed the SUV and fell on the road, exploding with a deafening sound and spewing dense smoke. No one was hurt, though the rear windows of a new car parked in front of an automobile showroom was damaged.
Police, who are hunting the culprits, said the bikers, who were driving down from Anna Flyover and heading towards Saidapet, threw the bomb over the median at an SUV driving in the opposite direction. The SUV driver hit the accelerator and turned towards Mayor Sundarrao Road close to the Kamarajar Arangam and sped away. The bikers fled before people could react.
“It was like a tremor. We felt the entire building shaking when the bomb exploded. We did not know the reason,” said Suraj, an eyewitness, who was at the car showroom.
A bomb squad inspected the spot with sniffer dogs before a team of forensic experts took samples. Police said initial indications were that the the explosives used were country-made bombs.
Teynampet police are checking CCTV footage to identify and arrest the culprits. City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan visited the spot. A special team has been formed to probe the incident and nab the culprits.
Police have arrested two men — Natarajan, 20, and Andrew, 19, for the Spencer Plaza attack.