NEW DELHI: The Centre has handed over the Puri train bogies burning case probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after credible inputs suggested that a terrorist module is planning terrorist attacks in different parts of India. The Home Ministry in a communiqué on Wednesday informed the Odisha government about the decision.
“It is learnt that the said terror module has visited various places in India to identify possible targets for terror attacks. There is further credible information that the said module carried out low intensity combustible blasts in railway coaches in Odisha and other places which resulted in fire in some coaches,” the Home Ministry letter dated December 2 said.
With regard to incidents of burning of the coaches in Odisha, two cases have been registered - Crime Number 3/C-743/2015 dated November 12 under IPC sections 153,147 & 145 if Railways Act at RPF Puri and FIR Number 0083 dated November 13 under IPC sections 436, 437 and section 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 at Khurda Road, GRP-Cuttack.
The Home Ministry said the information presented before the Ministry and other relevant factors of the case suggest that prima-facie grounds exist for registration and investigation of case under the Schedule Offences of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 to investigate the train burning incidents and also probe into other incidents committed or planned under the same criminal conspiracy.