Even after four days of the dastardly blasts at the sanctum sanctorum of the Buddhist temple complex in Bodhgaya, investigators failed to make any headway on serial blasts as they looked into all possible angles including any the Naxal role and also the purported claim by banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
The Bihar police, meanwhile, released Wednesday four persons, including a woman, detained Tuesday in connection with the Sunday explosions in and around Buddhism's holiest shrine as no evidence was found against them.
No arrests were made in the case so far but the police detained one more person identified as Dasrath, who belonged to Barachhati village from where Binod Mistri, the first person to be detained by the NIA, hailed. Dasrath was picked up on the basis of calls he made to Mistri and as his named figured in the police diary, police sources said. The role of Mistri and Dasrath in the attack, if any, has not been ascertained yet.
Meanwhile Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who visited the bomb blast sites along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Ambika Soni, said a "detailed" probe is being carried out by the National Investigation Agency. Asked about any involvement of the Naxals in the blasts, he said, "there are so many complex problems. Infiltration from other countries is there, Naxals are there, local communal disturbances are there. We have to see all angles."
Shinde said the NIA, which has taken over the probe, is looking into all possible angles including the purported claim by the IM in a Twitter account about carrying out the blasts and any possible link with the issue of alleged atrocities on the Rohangiya Muslims im Myanmar. "We are conducting complete investigations. Three-four people may be involved…with a car. We are conducting detailed investigation," he said. Asked why no arrests have been made in the case, he said, "arresting anyone in a hurry is not right. Investigations should go into detail and catch hold of the real culprits."
Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj told news agencies in Patna that the four people who were detained were released after no evidence of links with the explosions was found during their questioning. Two monks were injured in the blasts. The four had themselves volunteered to meet Patna city superintendent of police Jaykant after coming to know they had figured in the CCTV footage at the blast site at the temple complex.
During questioning, the four said they had gone to Bodhgaya to visit the historic Mahabodhi temple, Jaykant said. Besides Bihar police, they were also questioned by NIA and IB. Three FIRs were also lodged against unknown people at the Bodhgaya police station on the basis of statements of security personnel on duty at the temple on the day of the explosions, senior superintendent of police, Gaya, Ganesh Kumar said.
