Supplier of explosives for Bodh Gaya blast nabbed in Bengal

The alleged supplier of explosives to the terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) to carry out the blasts in Bihar's Bodh Gaya during spiritual leader Dalai Lama's visit in January, was on Monday arrested in West Bengal's Hoogly district, police said.

"Hajibulla, 57, a resident of Murshidabad district's Samsherganj, was arrested by the Special Task Force of Kolkata Police from Nadia's Bandel railway station on Monday morning. He was involved in supplying explosives to JMB members responsible for the Bodh Gaya blast in January," STF Deputy Commissioner Murlidhar Sharma told IANS.

"We have already arrested five people involved in the low-intensity explosion near the Mahabodhi temple targeting Dalai Lama. Hajibulla is the sixth person arrested in this case," the officer said.

"During investigation it was found that the terrorists planted three mines in the area, two of which did not go off. The Buddhist pilgrimage site was attacked to avenge violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar," he said.

However, he confirmed that the accused have no connections with the 2013 Bodh Gaya blast.

"Hajibulla has been remanded to police custody till June 24," he added.

The National Investigating Agency, which is primarily investigating the Bodh Gaya blast case, might also to interrogate Hajibulla.

A low intensity bomb blast took place near Kalchakra ground in Bodh Gaya on January 19 when the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was present in town. A couple of crude bombs and large quantity of explosives were also recovered from the place.

--IANS

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