Arrests in Kanpur train sabotage case reveal change in tactics by terrorists
Locals with Maoist links were used to inflict damage without explosives
PATNA: In December first week, central intelligence agencies intercepted a conversation on mobile phones. Two persons based in Nepal were discussing the November 20, 2016, derailment of the Indore-Patna Express at Kanpur.
One person was telling the other: “Keel-khunti nikalney se kaam hua. Bomb laganey sey kucch nahin hua (The job was done by removing the clips and plates, nothing could be achieved by planting bombs).”
The intercept within the first two weeks after the incident, which killed 148, made it clear that there was a terror angle to it and led to the arrests of Mohammad Muhazir and Braj Kishore Giri soon after. Their confession led to the unravelling of a whole gang, which specialised in such sabotage, highly placed officials in the Bihar police told HT on Wednesday.
So far, based on intelligence inputs, seven terror suspects have been arrested — three in Nepal and four around Motihari on the Indian side. The have revealed a shift in the modus operandi of terrorists to inflict heavy damage even without the use of explosives and weapons and by using new modules comprising local people with Maoist links.
According to IB sources, Giri, suspected of murder of two people and a prime mover in getting bomb planted on the Ghorasahan railway tracks, was on the police radar. A raiding Nepalese police party of Bara district, however, ran into an encounter with him, in which Giri suffered an injury. He was nabbed as he tried to flee with his brother-in-law, Shambhu alias ‘Laddu’, an accomplice in his operations, from Nepal.
“Further interrogation of Giri led to more clues and on that basis four persons - Umashankar Patel alias Raju, Mukesh Yadav, Mintu alias Moti Paswan and Bittu - were picked up from Motihari. All four have Maoist links since 2008,” sourced added.
During interrogation, Paswan revealed that one Shamshul Hoda of Bara district in Nepal, who also contested parliamentary elections in the Himalayan country and is currently living somewhere in the Gulf, was the financer of Giri, who in turn paid local modules for carrying out subversive activities.
“Hoda is said to be into fake notes racket and has ISI links,” said intelligence sources, adding two persons from Motihari - Dipak Ram and Arun Ram - had been hired for planting the bomb at Ghorasahan railway track.