Cops find live bullet shells before India-Aussie match

Pistol cartridges found in bathroom of Ferozeshah Kotla stadium by bomb detection squad; Delhi police says it's no security breach

This revelation could send the Aussies packing.

On Monday, the Delhi police said barely two hours before the third India-Australia one-day cricket match started at Ferozeshah Kotla grounds on Saturday, security officials on a routine drill recovered seven live pistol cartridges inside a bathroom on the second floor of the stadium. The cartridges were found wrapped in paper by the personnel of the bomb detection and dog squad.

The police believe the cartridges were either left by security personnel or people working in the stadium. "It can also be an accident and we are investigating how the cartridges made their way into the bathroom. But no player or VVIP could have been attacked using them as the place where the cartridges was found was far away from the players' room and the guest seats," said a senior police official.

Meanwhile, the police have already registered a case at the IP Extension Police Station under the Arms Act against unknown persons and begun investigations into the case.

Who could it be?

The police believe there is no way anyone could have sneaked a weapon inside the stadium. The security at the stadium was checked by the Delhi police, a private security agency and Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) officials. According to a senior police official, guests were checked at four points before entering the stadium. "There were some matches held in the stadium before the one on Saturday. There is a possibility that some person working inside the stadium left the cartridges there to create panic on Saturday. The cartridges were found two hours before spectators entered the stadium by the security officials. So this is not a security breach," said the senior police official, wishing anonymity. Meanwhile, the police are also checking the officers who were on duty on that day, especially those who were posted near the stand.