Varanasi blast: A year on, probe agencies clueless

A year after an explosion had rocked in Varanasi, security agencies are clueless about the module that was used to trigger the bomb blast.

Varanasi/New Delhi: A year after an explosion
had rocked the Dashashwamedh ghat in Varanasi during evening
prayer time, security agencies are clueless about the module
that was used to trigger the bomb blast that left a 2-year-old
girl dead and over three dozen injured in the temple town.

Those behind the blast, for which banned Indian
Mujahideen had claimed responsibility, continued to remain a
mystery for investigators as did the nature of explosive
material used to trigger the bomb.
The recent modules busted by the Delhi Police in which
six persons allegedly belonging to Indian Mujahideen were
arrested have expressed their ignorance about the Varanasi
explosion.

Security forces have rounded up many people and jailed
terrorists were questioned without any results.

There was a move to handover the probe to National
Investigation Agency (NIA) but it was dropped because of
issues between the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government.

The blast had occurred at around 6:20 pm when thousands
of devotees and some foreign tourists had assembled at the
Dashashwamedh ghat for having darshan of the Ganga Arti
ritual.
The bomb used in the Varanasi blast was a `unique` one as
it did not have shrapnels in it. Forensic experts examined the
blast scene to find clues to the exact nature of explosives
used but the opinion over the explosive material was not
unanimous.

Indian Mujahideen (IM) had claimed responsibility for the
blast in e-mails sent to media houses and said the incident
was in response to demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.

PTI

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