Exactly three years after the Chinnaswamy stadium blast ahead of an IPl match on April 17, 2010, an explosion near the BJP office in heavily crowded middle class locality of Malleswaram on Wednesday morning sent shock waves in Bangalore. Sixteen persons, including 11 policemen, were injured in the blast apparently targeted at the BJP city office buzzing with activity ahead of the May 5 Assembly polls.
The “incendiary bomb” planted in a motorbike bearing a Tamil Nadu registration number and parked between a van and a car went off around 10.30 am, causing injuries to 16 persons, including policemen who were on security duty as part of the bandobast arrangements for the polls.
According a source in the police department, initial investigations have revealed that a “timer-based, IED (improvised explosive device) fitted on a blue Suzuki bike” caused the blast. The police suspect that the bike was parked there since Tuesday night. They said that CCTV footage from cameras installed outside the BJP office may aid the investigation.
A mobile phone SIM card and details of the registration of the motorcycle found at the blast site had been recovered, said Karnataka Home Minister R Ashok. However, the Minister ruled out any political rivalry and said that the blast was purely a terror attack. “It is a very clear act of terror. It is targeted at the BJP, our senior leaders and workers,” he said.
According to an eyewitness, the window panes of some buildings were shattered due to the impact of the blast and a loud noise was heard a long distance away. BJP’s city office “Jagannath Bhavan” was full of party workers as they were busy preparing for the campaign by senior party leaders, which include party patriarch lK Advani.
Describing the blast as an attempt to weaken the party’s morale, the BJP said that its workers will not be cowed down.
State DGP lalrokhuma Pachau said, “Nobody is critically injured. All are being treated at hospital. As of now, we do not know what materials were used in the bomb.” A team of National Investigative Agency is also investigating the blasts, he said.
Bangalore Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar informed the media that a motorbike with an “incendiary bomb” was used.
Two cars and two two-wheelers were completely gutted, while the KSRP van was damaged in the explosion.
“We heard a loud explosion, and before we could realise what it was, window panes shattered and there was thick black smoke everywhere. We couldn’t see anything initially but somehow made our way out of the van,” said a constable.
Following the blast, a nationwide alert was sounded by the Centre. Security has been stepped up in the national Capital with special checking of in-bound and out-bound vehicles.
The NIA and the Intelligence Bureau remained clueless on the group behind the blasts. Sources, however, did not rule out the possibility of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and its offshoot Indian Mujahideen executing the attack a few days after the NIA announced cash rewards on the heads of key IM fugitives. Karnataka is a major base of the SIMI and IM.
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