One killed in parcel bomb blast at JD(U) leader's house

One person was killed and another seriously injured today when a parcel bomb exploded at the house of a JD(U) leader in Bihar.

A Janata Dal (United) leader’s bodyguard died and his brother-in-law was gravely wounded when a bomb concealed in a parcel exploded at the politician’s home in Bihar’s Maoist-hit Gaya district on Tuesday morning.

Police said they were looking for a man who delivered the package around 5am at JD(U) district president Abhay Kushwaha’s home at Kujapi Mohalla village. The parcel exploded when Kushwaha’s brother-in-law Jaihind, bodyguard Santosh Kumar and a member of the household staff, also named Santosh, tried to open it. The bodyguard died on way to the hospital while the other two were admitted to a private nursing home.

The attack came a day after Maoists went on a rampage on national highway 2 in Gaya district and burnt 35 trucks. “But it appears that Maoists were not involved (in the parcel bombing),” additional director general of police Sunil Kumar said, basing his remarks on preliminary investigation. “The bomb had wires attached to it,” he added.

Gaya senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj said they were trying to ascertain who sent the parcel and which courier company delivered it.