NIA and NSG roped in after explosives recovered in Bodh Gaya

PATNA: A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached Bodh Gaya on Saturday evening while another highly specialized bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS) of National Security Guard (NSG) were on the way from Kolkata after three high intensity improvised explosive devices (IED) inside metallic container were recovered from entrance of Mahabodhi Temple and near a Sri Lankan Monastery at Bodh Gaya on Friday night.The elite central security agencies were roped in suspecting terrorists’ involvement in the incident.
The IED recovered near the Sri Lankan Monastery is just few meters away from its entrance, and, the Tibetan monastery, where Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama is staying for giving sermon sessions. Monk from across the world have also reached Bodh Gaya for attending the leader’s sermon sessions.
Before the recovery, a low intensity blast also took place inside a tea shop located at entrance of Kalchakra ground. The recovery of suspected IEDs has raised serious questions of the security arrangements when at least 3000 police personnel are already deployed in Bodh Gaya for security of Dalai Lama.
Sources said the NIA team headed by a SP rank officer has reach Gaya from Lucknow and visited the places from where IEDs were recovered while the NSG team is en-route Gaya from Kolkata.
A senior IPS officer on condition of anonymity, said that the NIA was roped in to probe involvement of terrorist in planting the IEDs as Bodh Gaya had already faced bombings in the past. On July 7, ten serial explosions took place in and around Mahabodhi Temple complex resulting injury to five persons including two Buddhist monks.
“NSG’s BDDS would diffuse the IEDs after examination,” the officer said adding they were not willing to take any risk amid situation when Buddhist Monks across the world were gathered at Bodh Gaya. Sources said that BDDS of Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) of Bihar police, CRPF and SSB were also at spot.
Sources said that an IED was recovered from near gate number four of the Bodh Gaya temple, used as emergency exit. “Two IEDs in another bag was recovered from a platform around a tree which is hardly 20 meters away from Mahabodhi Vihar Society, a Sri Lankan monastery,” sources said.
ADG (Headquarter) SK Singhal said federal agencies were roped in looking at possibility of terror attack. “The IEDs were taken to banks of river Phalgu and were kept in sand bag covers,” he said.
“The low intensity blast that took place was a thermos flask explosion inside a tea shop located in front of Kalchakra ground. This explosion triggered alarm after which entire area was intensely sanitised resulting recovery of the three more IEDs,” the ADG said.
However, Singhal did not cleared air that if explosives were stuffed inside the flask or it exploded due to some other reason.
A CRPF IED expert was rushed to Bodh Gaya from Patna on Saturday morning. Patna Zonal IG Nayyar Hasnain Khan also reached Gaya in the morning to take account of the situation.