NIA releases two sketches of a suspect in Bodh Gaya blasts

NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday released two sketches of a suspect who is believed to have been spotted by eye-witnesses roaming around in suspicious circumstances inside the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya just a few hours before the serial blasts on July 7.

"Two sketches of the suspect, who was wearing the dress of a monk, have been developed with the leads available and are being shared with the general public for wide publicity and for assistance to the ongoing investigation. "The video clips where the suspect is seen in the CCTV camera have been merged to form one single clip, which is also being shared for wide publicity and assistance," the NIA said.

The three eye-witnesses, including two from Sri Lanka and Thailand, apparently saw the suspect between 3:30 am and 4:30 am on the day of the blasts. NIA has learnt that the suspect managed to enter the temple premises undetected as the private guards at the temple were on duty only from 5 am to 9 pm.

NIA's attempts to locate this person have not yielded any result so far, prompting the agency to seek public help. The agency suspects that the person may have planted the three bombs inside the Mahabodhi temple.