Bihar DGP hopes to get 'some clarity in Patna blasts' within 48 hours

Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) G P Abhyanand on Sunday confirmed that there were seven serial blasts that occurred here, and assured that there will be clarity in the investigations within 48 hours.

"These were low explosive blasts. Improvised explosive device (IED) were planted National Investigation Agency (NIA) is on its way. I feel in 24 to 48 hours, we will have some clarity," he told media here today.

Abhyanand said that the blasts occurred in the following order between 9:30 am to 12:45 pm: Railway station, Udhyog Bhawan near Gandhi Maidan, Regent cinema, near a Mahatma Gandhi statue, near the Twin Tower, SBI branch office, and near Children' park.

He further confirmed the death of five people in the blast, out of which two people have not yet been identified.

"Five people have been killed namely. Three have been identified as Vikas Singh, Ram Narayan Singh, Munna Srivastav, and the other two have not been identified yet," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced five lakhs as financial assistance for the families of the deceased.

While condemning the blasts, he also said that the motive for the blasts was to destabilize the peace of his state, and it was a time for leaders of the country to stand united despite their varying political ideologies.

Kumar confirmed that one suspect is being interrogated extensively by the Bihar Police. He said the suspect was detained from the railway station where the first blast occurred around 9:30 a.m. this morning.

Kumar also said the Bihar Police is confident of gaining pivotal information from the suspect regarding the investigation, and was confident of reaching solid conclusions about the perpetrators soon.

The injured have been taken to local hospitals in Patna and two of the injured remain in critical condition.

One police officer has also been injured.

The serial blasts did not deter the BJP from going on with their 'Hankar' rally, which took place at Gandhi Maidan earlier today despite the low-level explosions.