Security agencies suspect link between Bodh Gaya, Patna blasts

PATNA/NEW DELHI: Security agencies suspect that those who detonated bombs outside the rally of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Patna may have been involved in Bodh Gaya blasts in July.

Timer watch, procured in bulk from a shop in Guwahati, was again used in the seven blasts yesterday when Modi was addressing a political rally in Gandhi Maidan at Patna in which six people were killed and over 80 injured, official sources said.

They said the arrested persons -- Tausim and Imtiyaz -- were being questioned for their role in the Bodh Gaya blasts on July 7. No one was killed in those blasts.

Security agencies conveyed to the Union Home Ministry that Bihar Police did not conduct Advance Security Liaison in the close vicinity of Gandhi Maidan despite several reminders keeping in mind threat to Modi from terror groups based in Pakistan.

Bihar Director General of Police Abhyanand was not available for comments.

About the probe, the sources said the duo was being questioned by a team of National Investigation Agency about their role in Bodh Gaya and their linkages with Indian Mujahideen terror group.

Searches were being conducted in Bihar and neighbouring Jharkhand where police and security agencies have claimed to have found ammonium nitrate, materials used to make IEDs, pressure cooker and extremist literature. Four people have been detained in connection with this.

An additional team of central sleuths have been rushed to the spot for coordinating and interrogating the people arrested and detained so far.