IED at Ghazipur: Police await NSG answer to key RDX question in probe

Delhi police officers said they are awaiting a report from the elite anti-terror unit, likely on Monday, which will detail the nature of the explosives, materials used and the type of detonating device used to trigger the blast

Even as Delhi Police are yet to catch the person who planted a crude bomb in the city’s Ghazipur flower market on Friday, officials said the case is being probed as a terror attack.

A security personnel at Ghazipur flower market on Saturday, a day after an IED was found. (PTI)

The development came after National Security Guard officers, based on preliminary findings, said on Friday that the bomb found in an unattended bag was stuffed with RDX, ammonium nitrate and shrapnel.

Delhi police officers said they are awaiting a report from the elite anti-terror unit, likely on Monday, which will detail the nature of the explosives, materials used and the type of detonating device used to trigger the blast.

The last time RDX was used in Delhi by a terror group was in 2005 during the Delhi serial blasts. Since 2005, Delhi has reported at least five terror attacks – serial blasts in September 2008, blast at the Mehrauli flower market in September 2008, explosion in an Israeli diplomat’s car in February 2012, the High Court bomb blasts in September 2011 and the low-intensity explosion outside the Israel embassy in January 2021. RDX was not used in any of these incidents, police investigation showed.

On Friday morning, an improvised explosive device (IED) was found in an unclaimed bag at one of the entrances of the largest flower market in Delhi. It was neutralised before its timer could trigger a detonation. The national capital has been on high alert since the discovery just two weeks before Republic Day celebrations.

TWO CCTVs HOLD THE KEY

On Saturday, officers of the police’s special cell started looking at the footage of the two CCTV cameras – one each at the entry and exit gate of the market where the black bag containing the IED was recovered. These are the two cameras installed by the government that have a large storage capacity, and has recordings dating back to at least 15 days. Apart from these, there are cameras installed privately by flower traders in the market.

“We have found video of a few people carrying such black bags, which is fairly common, but are yet to zero on the person who left the IED filled bag at the gate. We are not making announcement because the examination of the CCTV footage is yet to yield anything concrete,” said a second police officer, who too declined to be named.

The market remained shut for the second day, even as Delhi police teams visited it to conduct their investigation. Police have asked for CCTV footage from more shopkeepers in the market. During the day, the market association also held a meeting to discuss steps to improve security and co-ordinate with police to reopen the market.

The market was shut and shopkeepers were evacuated on Friday morning after a passerby spotted the unclaimed black bag at 10.16 am and informed security. By noon, the bomb squad, sniffer dogs, firemen and fire tenders, special cell sleuths and experts from the NSG arrived and the market was evacuated. Between noon and 2 pm, an 8-feet deep pit was dug within the market premises where the NSG bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion in their efforts to diffuse the bomb.

LINKS TO SEPT 2021 ARRESTS OF 6 TERROR OPERATIVES?

Investigating officers in the special cell said that they have begun investigation and different teams are at work, each with a specific task. Police said they are probing if the people behind the Ghazipur IED case has links with the September arrests of six suspected terror operatives.

On September 14, 2021, police conducted raids in Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and arrested the six suspects. Jan Mohammed Sheikh was arrested in Kota, Rajasthan while on his way to Delhi; Osama in Okhla in Delhi; Mohd Abu Bakar in Sarai Kale Khan; Zeeshan in Allahabad; Javed in Lucknow; and Moolchand in Rae Bareilly.

Police are probing a possible link with this case because they had then recovered RDX-based crude bombs from these six. Police had then said the six men were trained to strike at markets with heavy footfalls in Delhi.

“We had recovered a RDX-IED type from Zeeshan. The suspects had then said that the explosive was smuggled into Punjab from across the border. This coupled with the recovery of RDX in Punjab on Friday and also the blast inside Ludhiana court makes it worth for us to have a look at the module behind the September 2021 arrest,” the second officer said.

Police had then said that the six were tasked by Pakistan-based Anees Ibrahim and terror groups based in Pakistan to plant explosives during the festive season.