Bodh Gaya blasts: poor CCTV footage a letdown, say investigators

The poor quality of CCTV footage is hobbling the investigating agencies, trying to put the bits and pieces together to identify those involved in the Bodh Gaya blast. Arun Kumar and Ruchir Kumar report.

The poor quality of CCTV footage is hobbling the investigating agencies, trying to put the bits and pieces together to identify those involved in the Bodhgaya blast.

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Though 15 of the 16 CCTV cameras were functional on the night of July 6-7, their poor quality is an impediment.

“When we can crack a case easily, things get complicated due to poor visuals,” said a senior intelligence official studying the footage at the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) office.

The footage was so blurred that despite identifying some clear movement at around 4.10 am close to the Mahabodhi tree, the officials were unable to put a face to it.

The video footage has gained importance after the detection of suspect movements of five-six strangers, including a woman.

“The footage shows three persons entered the premises through unspecified entry points while two others stood near the gate close to the car they came in. One of them, the tallest one, carried a bag on his shoulder,” an official of the district administration said.

Another source said, “We have collected splinters from the spot and three live IEDs.”