Zee Media Bureau/ Deepak Nagpal
New Delhi/ Patna: In a startling revelation, two terrorists held in connection with last year`s Bodh Gaya blasts have revealed that their original plan was to blow up the Mahabodhi Temple.
Haider Ali, second in command of the home-grown terror group Indian Mujahideen, and Mujibullah told officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) during interrogation that their plan to blow up the sanctum of the Mahabodhi Temple, located at Bodh Gaya in Gaya district of Bihar, was thwarted due to large crowd.
NIA sources said the terrorists could not plant bombs inside the main temple premises due to large crowds present on the day of the blast.
Haider Ali was arrested last month from Ranchi.
The NIA team probing last year’s Patna and Bodh Gaya blasts earlier this month disclosed that IM terrorists had bought all materials used in making the time bombs from different markets in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
On July 7, 2013 serial bomb blasts took place in the prime holy place of Mahabodhi Temple. The worship place is well known as Mahabodhi temple where Lord Buddha had attained enlightenment.
