Bomb found at Patna's Gandhi Maidan, experts explode it

Patna: The National Security Guard's commandos today averted another blast at Patna's Gandhi Maidan by conducting a controlled explosion of a bomb found there.

On Sunday, six people were killed and 83 injured in a string of crude bomb explosions that ended just before the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, addressed tens of thousands of supporters at the same public park in the heart of the city.

The police say terror outfit Indian Mujahideen is behind these blasts, allegedly masterminded by its senior leader Tehseen Akhtar. Two arrests have been made in the case so far.

The National Investigation Agency or NIA has taken over the investigation into the serial blasts case, government sources said.

Just four days before Mr Modi's rally, the state's Intelligence Bureau had warned the Bihar Police in writing that Mr Modi was likely to be targeted at election rallies.

Advertisement

But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has refuted allegations of major security lapses and has said that there were no intelligence inputs of a possible strike in Patna.  

Yesterday, when confronted with the intelligence bureau's note, the state's top cop, Ravindra Kumar, said that the warning was abstract and not specific.

Advertisement