New Delhi : Initial investigations by Central intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency into Wednesday’s Bengaluru blast points to the possible involvement of a Kerala-based terror module.
Intelligence sources said the blast came soon after credible information emerged on terror modules being trained in remote parts of Kerala to make IEDs.
“There are some local operatives in Kerala being backed by outfits like Indian Mujahideen and Students Islamic Movement of India being trained in use of explosives. This information was shared with the Kerala police as well. The nature of explosion strongly points to these Kerala operatives,” a senior home ministry official said.
The MHA had earlier sensitised the Kerala government that the state was becoming one of the biggest centres of hawala activity in the country, with large sums of money pumped in from Gulf countries. It is also suspected most of this was routed for terror activities. Intelligence sources believe the BJP office was not the original target, and subversive elements wanted to hit Chinnaswamy Stadium during Tuesday’s IPL match. It was also the anniversary of the earlier blast at the stadium. But heightened security there may have forced a change of plan.
“It seems that about 500 grams of explosives was used in the incident. This was too little to cause a major explosion unless the explosion is done in a crowded area with high foot fall because then the impact of the blast would have multiplied manifold. So the IPL Match would have been the perfect target,’’ a senior intelligence official remarked.
Further, NIA officials who visited the blast site suspect that the explosive, which was an IED, might have been placed inside the fuel tank of the motorcycle as they are yet to clearly recover the trigger of the IED.
NIA investigators suspect that the blast might have been triggered due to a chemical reaction. Terror outfits in the past are known to have used this modus operandi to engineer low intensity explosions.
Next: Bomb: Madani stamp?

Bomb: Madani stamp?
Bala Chauhan/DC
Bengaluru: The low intensity blast, which damaged six cars and three motorcycles on Temple Street in Malleswaram was reportedly executed by the sympathisers of the jailed chairman of the Kerala-based political party -the People's Democratic Party, Abdul Nasser Madani, to protest against his imprisonment in the 2008 Bengaluru serial Police have ruled out the involvement of the IM in the attack. “This is not their modus operandi,“ Intelligence source said blast case, highly placed sources said, adding the two men arrested were Rajah and Anwar Basha.
Madani was arrested in August 2011 from Kerala and has been since lodged in the Central Prison at Parapanna Agrahara, Bengaluru. “It seems to be the handiwork of a pro-Madani group to protest against his imprisonment in the 2008 serial blast case in which one person had lost her life and many others were injured. Though Madani is reportedly not involved in Wednesday's blast, his sympathisers, who hold the incumbent BJP-led-government responsible for his arrest may have triggered the blast,“ the gered the bl source said.
“Madani has been alleging that the 2008 serial blast case has been fabricated against him for political reasons. His sympathizers and PDP cadre workers are also angry that he has been denied bail by the High Court even though the charges against him have not been proved as yet,” the official source added.
Interestingly, the motorbike with the explosive a TVS Suzuki Max 100 with the fake Tamil Nadu registration number — TN 22 R 3769 — was bought second hand in Andhra Pradesh by one of the perpetrators to execute the blast.
“There was a genuine second hand purchase and though we have gathered important leads the problem is that the addresses on the driving licences of the accused have turned out to be false,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.