ISIS module behind blast in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train in Madhya Pradesh, police say
This is the first time any ISIS-linked module has been suspected of carrying out a terror attack in Madhya Pradesh.
A terror module with suspected ISIS links was behind the bomb blast in a Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train that injured nine persons near Jabdi station in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday morning, police said.
The incident site is around 80 km west of Bhopal.
This is the first time that any ISIS-linked terror module has been suspected of carrying out an operation in Madhya Pradesh.
A high alert has been sounded across the state after the explosion and four suspects have been picked up for interrogation.
IG (Law and Order) Makrand Deouskar said the explosion was caused by a pressure pipe bomb filled with ammonia nitrate kept inside a bag on the luggage rack.
Soon after the blast at around 8.50 am, DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla and ADG intelligence Rajiv Tandon rushed to the spot along with other senior officials.
Sources maintain that the explosives were meant to be used elsewhere, most probably in Uttar Pradesh that goes to polls tomorrow. It went off accidentally, sources said, adding that had the plan was to trigger the blast in the train, the explosives would have been kept under the seat for greater impact.
Sources said police started scanning the CCTV footage at the Bhopal railway station and they identified four suspects who were going towards the bus stand.
They were picked up from Pipariya in Hoshangabad district. Police believe of them three were certainly involved in the blast. The suspects are from UP’s Aligarh and Kanpur.
On the basis of information provided by them, the UP STF is carrying out an operation at Hajee Colony in Thakurganj area of Lucknow.
Those behind the train blast and the encounter with the ATS in Lucknow are interconnected, sources said.
Of the nine injured in the train blast, two have sustained serious injuries and have been referred to Bhopal. Two teenage girls and two women were among the injured.
The chief minister has announced compensation of Rs 50,000 for those seriously injuries and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.
Initial reports suggested that the explosion was caused by a tube light burst. But later it was found that the tube light exploded by the impact of the blast.
The loud noise had created a panic among the passengers leading to a stampede like situation in which seven persons were injured.
All the injured have been admitted to Kalapipal hospital in Shujalpur district. The damaged bogey was detached at Jabri station.
The railway PRO in Indore Jitendra Jayant said there was disruption in train movement for around an hour, but later it had normalised.
