The National Investigation Agency and Central intelligence agencies are now probing the possible involvement of a woman bomber in Sunday’s multiple bombings in Bodh Gaya. The agencies have detained a woman along with three other persons near Patna as they were found moving in and around the temple complex in a suspicious manner on the day of the blasts.
Sources among the investigators say some footage, even though of poor quality, from 15 CCTVs cameras at the temple complex and subsequent leads indicated a woman was part of the module that carried out the attack. It is suspected a five-person module was behind the blasts.
“We have some information on the involvement of a woman bomber. But whether the woman detained for questioning is involved or not is not clear. They checked out of a Gaya hotel immediately after the blasts early on Sunday morning,” a senior intelligence official said.
It is also clear now, sources added, that the terror module came from outside as paper slips giving details of where the bombs were to be placed were recovered from at least two blast spots. But the blasts suggest the module did an elaborate recee of the temple complex.
Sources in the NSG said there is a striking similarity in the explosives used in Bodh Gaya with those in serial blasts in Jaipur and Ahmedabad nearly five years ago. The Jaipur and Ahmedabad bombings were carried out by Indian Mujahideen modules. Teams from the NIA and intelligence agencies are already questioning some IM operatives in Pune and Mumbai jails to get any possible leads.
The Bihar police registered three FIRs at Bodh Gaya for the blasts. After Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s request and the Centre’s recommendation, the NIA formally took over the case on Tuesday even though it has been part of the investigation along with the state police since Sunday evening.
n Turn to Page 4
MHA officials said the CRPF and Bihar Military Police had taken charge of security at the temple. Private security guards are assisting them inside the complex. Mr Nitish Kumar had earlier demanded CISF security cover for the temple complex. The state government has, meanwhile, decided to set up a 344-member anti-terrorism squad.
Sources in the Bihar police said the four detained suspects, picked up from Patna, were being interrogated by state police and NIA officials, but no substantial leads had been gleaned so far. Another man had detained and questioned earlier in Gaya district.
“No comment,” said Bihar DGP Abhayanand, when asked about the detentions. The sources said three of the four people, who reportedly resembled images found in the temple’s CCTV footage, were found to have stayed at a hotel in Bodh Gaya on Saturday and had “suddenly, mysteriously” gone missing after 10 bombs went off in the temple complex early Sunday morning. They were traced in Patna on the basis of addresses given in the hotel register. The woman is said to be from Lucknow.
BJP president Rajnath Singh visited the temple complex on Tuesday along with senior party colleagues Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad and some Bihar BJP leaders. Mr Singh sharply criticised the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre over tackling terror but appeared softer in criticising the JD(U) government in Bihar over the blasts. “The Union home ministry failed to beef up security arrangements in the temple town and at the Mahabodhi temple despite a specific tipoff from the IB about a possible terror attack,” he said. He also demanded a “comprehensive action plan to effectively counter any kind of terror attack, biological, chemical or cyber”.