Security boosted for ‘prime target’ Dalai

GAYA: Security in and around Bodh Gaya and cover for Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama has been intensified in view of a threat to the latter after two bombs were recovered from the Mahabodhi temple on Saturday.

These arrangements will continue till the Tibetan spiritual leader, who is also a Noble laureate, stays in the city.

Lama, who arrived in the city on January 1 on a 50-day visit, cut his visit to 30 days earlier this month. He will now be returning on February 3.

Senior police officials said Sanjay Singh, additional SP, Bihar police, has been given charge of the spiritual leader’s security.

Bachhu Singh Meena, IG (security), said 200 CCTV cameras have been installed within a 1km radius of the temple complex. He said five quick response teams have been deputed to frisk visitors and keep an eye on the area.

Police sources said that while Dalai Lama was the prime target, the miscreants who planted the bombs had planned mass destruction.

National Security Guard (NSG) sources said the bombs could have killed scores of people if they had gone off during the prayer sessions.

“The two bombs comprised Neo Gel-90 explosives developed for going off underwater, ammonium nitrate, fluoride, timer, pressure devices that are generally in possession of internal terror groups like Jaish-e-mohammad (JEM) and Lashkar-e-taiba (LET). Such explosives can break hills and crack rocky mountains,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.

After a probe spanning three days, police have lodged an FIR in the bomb recovery case against five suspects found in CCTV footage moving with the explosiveladen bags. “We have almost zeroed in on the suspects,” said Gaya district magistrate Abhisekh Kumar Singh.