Details of five wanted in Bihar blasts released

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday released sketches and details of the five people wanted in connection with serial bomb blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya in Bihar, and sought the help of the general public in nabbing them.

A cash award was also announced for any information leading to the arrest of the men, wanted for involvement in planning and executing acts of terrorism, including the July 7, 2013 Bodh Gaya blasts and the Oct 27, 2013 Patna blasts.

The NIA, which is probing the recent serial blasts, in a press release on its official website, said that five suspects including Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu, Haider Ali alias Abdullah, Numan Ansari, Taufeeq Ansari and Mojibullah, who are absconding, were wanted by it.

The NIA has announced a cash reward of Rs.10 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Tahseen Akhtar and Haider Ali, and Rs.5 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the three others.

All five suspects are considered operatives of the banned Indian Mujahideen, an outfit suspected of involvement in the Bodh Gaya and Patna serial blasts.

Akhtar alias Monu, considered the mastermind of both serial blasts, is a resident of a village in Samastipur district of Bihar. Others named by the NIA are residents of Jharkhand.

Tahseen Akhtar, said to be running Indian Mujahideen operations after the arrest of Yaseen Bhatkal, is also wanted by the NIA for involvement in other blasts.

Ten bombs exploded at Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple in which two Buddhist monks were injured. Three live bombs were recovered and defused.

The Mahabodhi temple - a Unesco World Heritage site - is where the Buddha, born in neighbouring Nepal, attained enlightenment around 2,550 years ago.

At least seven people, including a suspected bomber, were killed and nearly 100 injured in the blasts ahead of the Oct 27 rally by the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime minister candidate Narendra Modi.

The NIA has arrested four people including Mohammed Imtiyaz Ansari in connection with serial blasts in Patna.