Initial probe points to local group: Cops

 Initial investigation has suggested the involvement of local groups in the making of the low-intensity bomb that shook the City on Sunday.

The police claimed that they have got crucial materials that will help them to ascertain who carried out the explosion. “We have recovered some materials from the spot that will give us definite leads. The motive behind the explosion and persons behind it are being investigated. Hence, we will not share more details,” said City Police Commissioner M N Reddi.

The police have recovered a few gelatine sticks, nuts, bolts and ammonium nitrate and a timer. The explosive materials were wrapped in a cloth that is used by a particular sect which attaches sanctity to it. The wrapped package was in a plastic bag that was abandoned near flower pots. A timer was connected to a mobile handset. 

“The miscreants used a handset to trigger the explosion,” a senior officer who is involved in investigations into several terror cases told Deccan Herald.

There was a similar planning in a few terror attacks in the past across the state.

Professional terror groups adopt different modus operandi to execute blasts. Those behind the Sunday night explosion seem to have very little knowledge of bomb making.

It is extremely difficult to ascertain who bought the cloth and whether it was bought in Bengaluru. The fact that a set of people use the cloth may provide some leads.

The City police initially suspected the involvement of the sympathisers of Mehdi Masoor Biswas, who was handling an IS twitter account. Police had received threat messages a day after his arrest. However, they said the blast was not the work of Mehdi sympathisers.

“The local group seemed to have prepared the crude bomb in a hurry to send a strong message to the police and hence executed the act. They did not intend to carry out a massacre,” he said. Commenting on such a possibility, Reddi said: “It is too early to say anything at this stage. The police are probing the matter from all angles.” The group behind the explosion may not be linked to ultras operating outside the country but they may have connections with Indian Mujahiddin and some sleeper cells active across the coastal belt of the country.

“It may just be a warning for us as we can’t rule out the possibility of bigger conspiracies. They might have exploded low intensity bomb to test their capacity. But we are prepared to face any eventuality,” said another officer.