Maoist group owns up to Patna blast, Nitish orders probe

Security agencies went into a tizzy after a low intensity blast took place in Patna, late Monday. No casualties were reported from the site.

Patna: A Maoist group, People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a bomb blast in the Bihar capital on Monday night, police said. A suspect was detained, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked the state police chief to look into the extremism and terrorism aspects in the incident.

No casualties were reported from the site.

The blast occurred inside a flat in a residential building in the Bahadarpur area of the Bihar capital. The police later recovered two high-intensity live bombs from the building. On investigation, police found them to be equipped with the same timer device – of Lotus brand – that was used in the bombs that went off in 2013 at Narendra Modi’s rally at Gandhi Maidan ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and at Bodh Gaya.

"There was a low intensity blast. Two live bombs were also found which were defused later. No casualties or injuries have been reported as yet," said Senior Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana.

The explosion caused panic among the residents of the area, he said.

While no arrests have been made yet, police have sealed the building and a two-wheeler parked at the building has also been seized.

As per locals, the two people, who lived in the flat, are natives of Nalanda district. They are absconding even as several police teams are at work to trace them.

Reports claimed that the building was being used as a bomb making factory.

Meanwhile, a team of the National Investigation Agency began a probe into the blast to ascertain the involvement of any terror organisation. Officials visited the spot and collected evidence.

(With Agency inputs)