Patna serial blasts was targeted at Modi: NIA

He said definitely the conspiracy among SIMI and Indian Mujhaideen was to harm Modiji

A conspiracy had been hatched to harm Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi, the NIA claimed today, saying it has cracked last year's Patna serial blasts case with the arrest of four persons including a juvenile allegedly having association with banned terror groups like SIMI and Indian Mujhaideen.

Terming it as a "big success", NIA Director General Sharad Kumar told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference here that "definitely the conspiracy among these people was to harm Modiji. The people whom we have arrested earlier in the Patna blast case had said that they had recced Modi's rallies and went there to see how to get near him.

Kumar said that the team had carried out dry runs at four places -- Akbarpur, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Delhi and Patna.

But finding it very difficult in view of Modi's security, they planted bombs at the Patna rally out one of which was placed barely 100 metres from the dais, NIA officials said.

However, it did not explode and was recovered by the Bihar Police only after a day.

Among those arrested by NIA included Hyder Ali alias 'Black Beauty', Mojibullah, Numan Ansari and a juvenile (whose identity was not disclosed), he said.

Except for Ali, NIA had announced a cash reward of Rs five lakh on other three who allegedly planted the bombs during October 27 rally of Modi.

At least seven people were killed and scores others injured when bombs exploded at a make-shift railway platform and at the rally of Modi.

Kumar said with these arrests NIA has cracked three cases which include the Bodh Gaya temple blasts, the Patna rally blasts and explosions in Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar.

Good coordination between Central intelligence agencies, NIA and the local police led by Superintendent of Police Palamau in Jharkhand led to the arrests, he said.

Ali had been on the radar ever since the arrest of Indian Mujahideen member Tehseen Akhthar alias Monu by Delhi Police last month.

However, the arrested members belonged to 'Ranchi module' of banned SIMI group which had been conspiring to carry out a terror attack, officials said.

The first one was at Bodh Gaya in which two persons including a monk received minor injuries.

"We have unravelled the entire conspiracy. However, further interrogation of the accused will be done to obtain more information," he said.