One arrested for Jalpaiguri blast, sent to police custody

One man, said to be a former member of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), was Sunday arrested in connection with the bomb blast in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri that claimed six lives, police said.

Chandan Roy was arrested from Moynaguri area of Jalpaiguri district, said police. A district court remanded Roy to police custody for ten days.

"Chandan Roy was arrested based on some information. Some more arrests will be made," said district Superintendent of Police Amit P. Javalgi.

Some others have been detained for interrogation.

Police were taking the help of various agencies in the interrogation, Javalgi said.

"The probe is proceeding in the right direction," he said.

Roy, however, claimed he was innocent. "I was returning home when police picked me up. I have no connection with the explosion."

But Roy admitted his past association with the KLO, suspected by police of causing the blast through an improvised explosive device (IED) in Bajrapara area.

"I was with the KLO earlier. I was arrested for that also. Now I have no connection with the outfit," he said.

Denying its involvement in the incident, the KLO Friday warned police against defaming the outfit.

Forensic experts have visited the explosion site, while security has been increased in and around north Bengal.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team too inspected the site and collected samples.

The KLO has been demanding a Kamtapur state comprising six districts - Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda - of West Bengal and four contiguous districts of Assam - Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara.