NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will now probe the Ujjain train blast and Lucknow encounter case with initial findings suggesting the spread of the module to other States having suspected international linkages.
“Due to the prompt action taken by the police of both the States, a possible threat to the national security was successfully averted. Further investigations will be handed over to NIA,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament on Thursday.
The decision comes after the Ministry was convinced with initial findings that there was inter-state linkages of the terror module. Preliminary findings by the agencies on these incidents suggested Saifullah was part of the module that hit the Ujjain train. The FIRs into the two incidents were also considered before a decision was taken to the effect by the Ministry, official sources said.
The Ministry had on Wednesday received the copy of the FIR into the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh. It received the copy of the FIR into the Lucknow encounter case on Thursday, the sources said.
Preliminary probe by the agencies suggest the module had an insidious design to hit vital installations in the country and had some international linkages.
The IED blast on Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train injured 10 persons. The Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Uttar Pradesh police killed alleged terrorist Saifullah at a house on the outskirts of Lucknow and recovered eight pistols, over 600 live cartridges, three mobile phones, four SIMs, two wireless sets besides Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and some foreign currency.
Three suspects have been arrested from Hoshangabad by the Madhya Pradesh Police following the train blast. The UP police also arrested three suspects from different parts of the State in coordination with the Central Intelligence agencies.
While the Lucknow ATS has registered a case in connection with the encounter under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, ATS Kanpur has lodged a separate case in connection with arrest of a suspect from the district.