Chennai Blasts investigation: 3 pieces of the jigsaw puzzle

mangaloretoday.com/ India Today

Chennai, May 01: As investigators try to find out more about the two bomb blasts in the Bangalore-Guwahati Express in Chennai on Thursday, three pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are being identified.

 

 

 

1. An ’ISI agent’
A day before the incident, a Pakistani national was arrested in Chennai over suspicion that he could be working for spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) trying to establish links with terror groups active in India.

The arrested person has been identified as Mohammad Jafar Hussain, 37. According to police sources, Hussain came to Chennai via Sri Lanka. He is being interrogated to find out whether he played any role in the blasts.

Two news reports said Hussain was held with fake currency and incriminating documents and photos and police suspect he was part of a plot to target vital installations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

2. Man inside the train

Soon after the blasts, another man, who has not been identified yet, was detained from inside the train over suspicion that he could be linked to the explosions which were probably triggered by a mobile device.

A pipe bomb has also been found at the station.

3. Man at the airport

By 10:15 am, one more person, a native of Assam, was detained, this time at Chennai airport.

He has been identified as Ahmed Hussain Barbhuiya from Cachar district in Assam.

CISF personnel spotted him at the car parking of the airport’s domestic terminal. On questioning, the man said he had come to Chennai on a train from Bangalore to take a flight to Guwahati.

He had got down at Chennai Central Station, where the blasts took place, and left for the airport.

 

Meanwhile, security at the railway station, where thousands of people arrive and depart daily, has been further stepped up and all inbound and out-bound trains were being subjected to extensive check.

Baggage screening procedures have been further scaled up, Railway sources said.

As a precautionary measure, police have stepped up security at the airport here.