Burdwan blast probe finds jehadi footprint, NIA sidelined by local cops
The West Bengal Police on Sunday arrested two women and detained a man in connection with the Burdwan blast that left two suspected militants dead even as ruling TMC, BJP and CPI(M) were locked in a blame game over the incident in which the role of terror groups is being probed.
The police recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and the material to make them, watch dials, detonators, and SIM cards from the house, located in Khagragarh area, from where the two women were arrested.
Alarmingly, terror material with references to Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri, Indian Mujahideen and even the Chechen rebels were also found. Maps of Bangalore and Kolkata were also seized from the house, indicating a possible design to carry out further terror operations in the two cities.
The development has alarmed the security agencies since only recently Al Qaeda announced its intention to set up a module in the Indian sub-continent. Reports have suggested that top Al Qaeda operative Pakistan-based Asim Umar, has been named to lead the Qaedat-al-Jihad, the new terror unit that Zawahiri has announced will operate in the Indian sub-continent.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau are also looking into the incident to find out if those behind the assembly of the IEDs were linked to terror groups and unravel the larger conspiracy. The NIA is learnt to have submitted a preliminary report on its findings into the incident to the Union Home Ministry.
After coming under fire over the blast at Trinamool Congress leader Nurul Hasan Choudhury's residence in Khagragarh locality of Burdwan district, the West Bengal government has now set up a special team to investigate the incident. State Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee said: “A composite task force has been created for further probe into the incident. There may be a connection between these terrorists and terror modules operating out of Bangladeshi soil. There is no question of non-cooperation with central agencies.”
However, the Opposition has criticised the Mamata Government for delay in the roping in the NIA to probe the blast, which was a clear case of a terror operation. Earlier during the day, West Bengal left Front Chairman Biman Bose alleged that there was a nexus between the Trinamool Congress and suspected militants killed in the October 2 explosion in Burdwan district.
At a media briefing in Kolkata, Bose said: "We have come to know that both the tenants and the landlord of the house at Khagragarh locality of the town where the explosion took place are close to the TMC. It is an ominous sign for us."
"It is surprising that the ruling Trinamool Congress is giving indulgence to the banned Muslim fundamentalists, which in turn is posing threat not only to the State but also to the entire nation….We are sorry to say that the ruling party has connection with all disgruntled elements and organisations. We all need to be cautious," Bose further alleged.
Burdwan Superintendent of Police SMH Mirza said the two women, Rajira Bibi alias Rumi hailing from Karimpur in Nadia and Amina Bibi from lalbagh in Murshidabad, were arrested from Khagragarh this morning. later, another person identified as Hatij Mollah was detained by a CID team from his house at Khar Duttapa in Purbostholi, about 70 km from Burdwan.
Mirza said the two women were produced before a Burdwan court which remanded them to police custody for nine days. They had been detained on the day of the blast on October 2 in a house in Khagragarh in Burdwan town.
Rajira Bibi is the widow of suspected militant Shakil Ahmed, who was killed in the explosion while Amina Bibi is the wife of Hasan Saheb, who was critically injured in the blast and is under treatment at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. The second dead man was identified as Sovan Mandal.
The CID of West Bengal police are probing the possible involvement of terror outfits like leT and HuJI in the blast. Mirza said that 55 grenades, chemicals used in making explosives, a book on how to trigger explosions, some jehadi literature, a video on jehadi training, map of important locations in Burdwan district were seized by the CID team from the house.
A large number of watch dials, SIM cards and other tools required to make IEDs were seized from the house immediately after the explosion, he said, raising suspicions that the victims of the explosion were associated with a militant outfit. The suspected militants had rented the house a few months ago and the police had also questioned the house owner Hasan Chowdhury, police sources said.
The BJP accused the Mamata Banerjee Government of turning West Bengal into a safe haven for anti-nationals and Jehadi activities. The BJP charged the State Government with destroying the evidence and not handing it over to the NIA for a probe.
In New Delhi, BJP Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh alleged that the Burdwan Police instead of handing over to the NIA the materials recovered, took away the entire evidence and destroyed it. "Why was the NIA informed almost a day lateIJ" he asked at a Press conference.
Singh alleged in Delhi that the Burdwan police instead of handing over the materials recovered from the blast site to the NIA for a probe destroyed it. "We can safely conclude that West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee's rule has become a safe haven for anti-national elements and Jehadi activities," Singh concluded.
TMC national general secretary Mukul Roy responded by describing Singh's comments and those of left Front chairman Biman Bose who alleged a nexus between the ruling party and suspected militants as "irresponsible statements". "Both the CPI(M) and BJP are trying to create unrest in the State at a juncture when the Durga Puja festival has just ended and Eid is to be celebrated tomorrow," Roy told newspersons here.