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Parts of wire and battery found from blast site in Bengal, minister stable
Whether the explosion was triggered remotely using an IED or it was just some crude bombs that were kept in the bag which exploded when someone kicked it, is what officials are trying to verify.
Sleuths probing the explosion, which left minister Jakir Hossain and at least 26 others injured, have found parts of battery and a piece of wire from the spot.
Contrary to what was believed on Wednesday that bombs were hurled at Hossain, officials said that the explosives were kept in a bag on the railway platform. His condition was stated to be stable after surgery.
Whether the explosion was triggered remotely using an IED or it was just some crude bombs that were kept in the bag which exploded when someone kicked it, is what officials are trying to verify.
“Samples have been collected from the spot for forensic analysis. While a battery was found on the railway tracks, a piece of wire was found at a distance on the platform,” said an official.
Hossain, who is the minister of state for labour in West Bengal, was critically wounded in a blast on Wednesday night when he went to the Nimtita railway station to board a Kolkata-bound train. At least 26 others were injured. Some had their limbs blown off and at least 15 of the victims had to be shifted to Kolkata.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also pointed towards an IED blast saying: “Those who were with him have claimed that the blast was remotely controlled. Police is investigating so nothing concrete can be said as of now. But prima facie it appears that it was pre-planned,” she said.
Officials said that there was hardly any light on the platform at that time. Some of the people who were walking with the minister said that they had spotted the bag which exploded.
“It is clear from a video which was taken seconds before the blast that a man walking next to Hossain had alerted the people that there was a bag lying on the way. Seconds after the explosion took place,” said an officer.
Banerjee has already ordered a high-level investigation into the incident by three state-run investigation agencies – the Criminal Investigation Department, Special Task Force and Counter Insurgency Force. CID officials have already rushed to the spot and inspected the platform and the railway tracks.
While addressing a BJP rally, the party's state president Dilip Ghosh demanded a CBI probe into the bomb attack while other leaders of the party said in Kolkata that the probe should be done by the NIA.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that the probe should be done by the NIA.
“I understand that the state government has formed a Special Investigation Team. But since the offence is under the Explosives Act, a very expert investigation is required. I am sure the National Investigation Agency (NIA), that has the required expertise to probe the matter, should be involved,” said Dhankhar.
