NIA handed over Patna serial blasts probe

PATNA: The Bihar police on Wednesday formally handed over the probe into serial blasts at Patna junction and Gandhi Maidan on October 27 to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) but claimed it has almost cracked the sensational case. Altogether eight bombs had exploded, two at platform number 10 of Patna junction and the remaining at different corners of Gandhi Maidan during BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi's Hoonkar Rally.

Bihar DGP Abhayanand said the recovery of explosives and documents from a students' lodge at Hindipidhi in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, has almost proved the involvement of Indian Mujahideen (IM) in the terror incidents, both at Patna and Bodh Gaya on July 7 and that the same set of people were involved in both the incidents. "The involvement of IM is confirmed to a great extent," he said.

CM Nitish Kumar, soon after the blasts, had announced to approach the NIA to take over the case, saying the agency has expertise in handling such cases. On October 29, when the CM was in Rajgir, he had signed the file requesting NIA to take over the case. The DGP said at the Bihar police's instance, the NIA has agreed to involve two DSPs and one sub-inspector of Bihar police in the investigation. He didn't name the police officials.

Abhayanand said the police got early leads with the arrest of one Imtiaz Ansari, who had confessed that more bombs had been planted at Gandhi Maidan. The police made frantic search but could not stop explosion of some bombs, he added. Later on, Ansari made more revelations and on that basis, raids were conducted in Ranchi and recoveries made.

Saying that this was a new type of crime committed in Bihar and that Bihar police had no experience of handling IM-sponsored incidents, the DGP said the state police worked intelligently and methodically to solve the case.

The top cop said that apart from explosives, gelatin sticks and detonators, some maps and documents were recovered during the raids in Ranchi, which indicated that the IM had planned to attack some religious places in Bihar and other places in the country.

Abhayanand said apart from Imtiaz Ansari and Tarique alias Ainul, who succumbed to explosion injuries on November 1, a third suspect, Tabish, has been arrested from Motihari on the basis of the call details, though it is still not confirmed whether he was present in Patna on October 27. He said Imtiaz and Ainul had also been involved in Bodh Gaya blasts. He also said in all, 18 IEDs were planted at Gandhi Maidan during the rally.