Parcel bomb case accused held; also involved in 1999 blast

A man held on Saturday for allegedly sending a parcel bomb to the owner of a private school at Upleta in Rajkot district of Gujarat was also behind a blast in 1999 which had killed two persons, police said.

Nathabhai Dobaria (68) was arrested Saturday for allegedly sending a parcel bomb to the owner of Sri Krishna School, Vallabhbhai Dobaria, Rajkot (rural) Superintendent of Police Balram Meea said.

The accused had an old dispute with Vallabhbhai over a house and he allegedly intended to kill him and his family, the SP said.

"In 2006, Nathabhai sold a house to the Vallabhbhai. There was a dispute and the matter landed in court. Fed up with the ongoing case and holding a grudge for past humiliation, the accused decided to blow up Vallabhbhai and his family members," he said.

Nathabhai allegedly put together a bomb using gelatin sticks and packed it in a gift box. To mislead police, he couriered the box to Vallabhbhai from Amreli instead of Rajkot where he lives, Meena said.

The parcel reached Vallabhbhai on October 12. It came with a typed letter, identifying the sender as one of his former students.

It instructed him to open the 'gift' on October 16. When Vallabhbhai opened it, he found suspicious-looking materials inside and informed police.

Police found that it was a bomb. It was destroyed in a controlled blast.

Nathabhai Dobaria was arrested after Vallabhbhai told police that he had a dispute with him, Meena said.

Based on a sketch of the suspect in a 1999 blast case, his role in that case also came to light, the SP claimed.

"In 1999, Nathabhai had sent a parcel bomb to Upleta which killed Girish Sojitra and Ratilal Padariya and injured Batukbhai Murani. They had a dispute with his father over land," Meena said.

Nathabhai allegedly confessed to involvement in that case too, he said.

The case had remained unsolved until now, the SP said, adding that Nathabhai Dobaria was arrested under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Explosives Act.