BHOPAL: Tuesday’s blast in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger marks the arrival of ISIS in the country. IG, law and order, Makrand Deouskar on Wednesday claimed, “For the first time, an ISIS module has executed a blast on Indian soil. This blast was merely a trial as the module wanted to test their plan and execution.”
The IG later went on to claim that the pipe bomb used in the blast was wrapped in a paper carrying a chilling message: ‘ISIS. We are now in India.’ He said that the trio arrested in connection with the blast had initially planned to target Pushpak Express. However, due to some inexplicable reasons, the plan failed and they opted for the passenger train.
The IG further said that the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has taken over the probe into the case from GRP Ujjain. The latter had already registered a case under destruction of public property Act and under sections 307 and 325 of the IPC. The ATS is likely to incorporate Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and related sections of the IPC in the case.
Meanwhile, the ATS has already secured police custody of the arrested trio till March 23. The accused identified as Danish Akhtar, Atish Mohammad Muzaffar and Meer Hussain hail from Lucknow, the state capital of UP.
Aborted Pushpak train blast?
The trio had boarded the Pushpak Express with briefcase carrying the pipe-bomb. They planned to leave the briefcase in the train while alighting at Bhopal. However, in the train they met a few of their acquaintances. Fearing that their acquaintances may remind them of the briefcase and force them to take it away, they called off the plan. The other reason was that the trio had failed to set the timer of the IED. Hence, on Tuesday morning, they alighted from the Pushpak at Bhopal. As the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger was standing on the adjacent platform, they boarded it and after setting the timer, got down. They later tried to return to Lucknow via Jabalpur and Allahabad but were apprehended in Piparia following IB tip off. The accused had planned to carry out more blasts in trains across the country. They wanted to ensure maximum casualty. However, they failed to plant bomb in Pushpak. Meanwhile, a team of MP, ATS had gone to UP to collect more information about the arrested accused. The team of other state are also coming to MP to share the information.
Why Madhya Pradesh?
The IG said that the accused wanted to execute blast in train. Danish Akhtar had worked as motor mechanic in Bhopal for six months about two years back, he was well aware of the city and its geography. He had chalked out the escape plan after planting the bomb. This was the reason behind selection of Bhopal as target. The trio was to return to Lucknow on bus via Piparia, Jabalpur and Allahabad.
NIA team in Bhopal
A team of federal probe agency NIA reached Bhopal to look into the train blast case in Madhya Pradesh, suspected to be a terror attack. It may visit the site of the blast near Jabri railway station.
