Bardhaman blast: NIA probe leads to Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Kerala

NEW DELHI: The probe into the Bardhaman blast, now being handled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is pointing to a bigger plot extending not just to neighbouring Assam, but also to Jammu & Kashmir and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The NIA has, based on leads gathered from the three women arrested from the site of the October 2 blast, picked up a suspect from J&K — a construction worker belonging to West Bengal.

The J&K suspect, to whom calls were made from the SIM cards seized from Rajira Bibi, wife of militant Shakil Ahmed killed in the blast, was found to be in touch with two other suspects in Birbhum, West Bengal. The NIA is now on the lookout for the duo.

Meanwhile, some arrests were made in Barpeta, Assam, on Friday. The Assam Police claimed the arrested were linked to a module operating under the patronage of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Importantly, jihadist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS) has also cropped up in the course of questioning of the suspects.

The agencies have found a picture of the ISIS flag downloaded a suspect's phones. Though the suspect claimed that the phone was being used by another person, who may have downloaded the flag, the NIA will be probing the angle further.

The discovery of grenades and bomb-making equipment from Bardhaman, as well as linkages across several states borne out by calls exchanged by suspects in Bardhaman with aides in far-off locations like J&K and even southern states, indicate elaborate planning and high level of preparations by JMB to carry out attacks in Bangladesh.

Intelligence agencies here believe that strikes were planned as retaliation against the Sheikh Hasina regime's crackdown on JMB elements.

NIA sleuths fear the suspects arrested so far and aides contacted across states by the militants are possibly foot soldiers. The probe will now focus on identifying the leaders of the module.