Cops await NSG answer to key RDX question in bomb probe
NEW DELHI: Even as Delhi Police are yet to catch the person who planted a bomb in the city’s Ghazipur flower market on Friday, officials said the case is being probed as a terror attack.
The development came after National Security Guard officers, based on preliminary findings, said on Friday that the bomb found in an unattended bag was stuffed with RDX, ammonium nitrate and shrapnel.
Delhi police officers said they are awaiting a report from the elite anti-terror unit, likely on Monday, which will detail the nature of the explosives, materials used and the type of detonating device used to trigger the blast.
The last time RDX was used in Delhi by a terror group was in 2005 during the Delhi serial blasts. Since 2005, Delhi has reported at least five terror attacks – serial blasts in September 2008, blast at the Mehrauli flower market in September 2008, explosion in an Israeli diplomat’s car in February 2012, the High Court bomb blasts in September 2011 and the low-intensity explosion outside the Israel embassy in January 2021. RDX was not used in any of these incidents, police investigation showed.
“If the NSG report on Monday confirms RDX, then it will point towards the role of people or groups from abroad. RDX is not available in the market. In past terror cases, police have found that the chemical is usually smuggled from across the border,” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.
On Friday morning, an improvised explosive device (IED) was
Two CCTVS may hold clues
On Saturday, officers of the police’s special cell started looking at the footage of the two CCTV cameras – one each at the entry and exit gate of the market where the black bag containing the IED was recovered. These are the two cameras installed by the government that have a large storage capacity, and has recordings dating back to at least 15 days. Apart from these, there are cameras installed privately by flower traders in the market.
“We have found video of a few people carrying such black bags, which is fairly common, but are yet to zero on the person who left the IED filled bag at the gate,” said a second police officer.
The market remained shut for the second day, even as Delhi police teams visited it to conduct their investigation. Police have asked for CCTV footage from more shopkeepers in the market.
Links to Sept 2021 arrest of six terror operatives?
Police said they are probing if people behind the Ghazipur IED case have links with the September arrests of six suspected terror operatives.
On September 14, 2021, police conducted raids in Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and arrested the six suspects. Jan Mohammed Sheikh was arrested in Kota, Rajasthan while on his way to Delhi; Osama in Okhla in Delhi; Mohd Abu Bakar in Sarai Kale Khan; Zeeshan in Allahabad; Javed in Lucknow; and Moolchand in Rae Bareilly.
Police are probing a possible link with this case because they had then recovered Rdx-based crude bombs from these six. Police had then said the six men were trained to strike at markets with heavy footfalls in Delhi.
“We recovered a RDX-IED type from Zeeshan. The suspects had then said that the explosive was smuggled into Punjab from across the border. This coupled with the recovery of RDX in Punjab on Friday and also the blast inside Ludhiana court makes it worth for us to have a look at the module behind the September 2021 arrest,” the second officer said.
Police had then said the six were tasked by Pakistan-based Anees Ibrahim and terror groups based there to plant explosives during the festive season.
An improvised explosive device (IED) was found in an unclaimed bag at one of the entrances of the largest flower market in Delhi on Friday and was neutralised before its timer could trigger a detonation, sending a capital-wide security alert days before Republic Day celebrations.
The IED weighed roughly 3kg and likely consisted of powerful chemicals like RDX or ammonium nitrate, officials aware of the preliminary finding said,.