National Investigating Agency (NIA) sleuths along with Ranchi Police on Monday recovered nine live bombs, 19 detonators, 25 gelatin sticks and 12 timers from a lodge room under Hindpiri Police Station during a raid in Ranchi.
The bombs, which were said to be of similar properties like those found in Patna blasts, were later taken to an open space at Morhabadi and defused by the bomb disposal squad.
"We were following various leads gathered during the investigations after the Patna blasts in the last few days and raided various locations and have recovered nine live bombs, 19 detonators along with 25 gelatin sticks along with other things," said DGP Rajiv Kumar.
According to the police, the investigation teams after getting a tip off from Uzair Ahmed -- one of the IM suspects arrested from Mani Tola under Doranda Police Station on October 29 allegedly involved in Patna blasts on October 27 -- conducted raid on Iram lodge located at second street under Hindpiri Police Station in Ranchi.
Sources revealed that Haider, another IM suspect arrested from Patna was a regular visitor to the lodge and the bombs were assembled in the lodge itself by terror module operators who frequented the place.
"The bombs found here are of same property and nature as found in the Patna blasts having same Timer of lotus Company, as used by them," said SSP Saket Kumar Singh. These bombs were said to be in ready form which could be exploded anytime after putting a battery in it, he added. Each bomb consisted of three pipe elbows.
Bombs along with the other explosives were kept in shoe cartons locked inside room number 8 of the lodge. The room was locked when police reached there. The owner of the lodge has been identified as one Manzar Imaam while a so called student named Muzibul Ansari, hailing from Ormanjhi some 20 km from the state headquarters Ranchi, had occupied the room.
Unconfirmed sources however, confirmed that one person has been detained for interrogation in this regard. The investigation team included City SP, DSP, and Officers-in-charge of Gonda and Dhurwa Police stations along with the NIA sleuths.
The investigating agencies present in Ranchi are primarily after the four I-M operatives -- Noman Ansari, Taufique Ansari, Tarique Ansari and Hyder Ansari who are still traceless. It has become a challenge for the NIA as well as for Jharkhand Police as all the four accused absconding in the case are from Ranchi.