Kanpur derailment: ATS probing claims of man held in Bihar

Following this, ATS officials and Kanpur Dehat police conducted searches at both accident sites Friday. They failed to trace any remnant of explosives. “We are trying to verify the claims of Motilal Paswan,” said IG (UP ATS) Aseem Arun.

A source said ATS would take Paswan into custody only after it finds that it was worthwhile to proceed with the probe based on the information provided by him.

Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav were arrested reportedly after following a tip-off by Nepal Police. Nepal Police are learnt to have received the information while questioning an accused in a double murder case. Brij Kishor, one of the accused with reported links to Pakistan’s ISI, allegedly confessed to his involvement in Ghorasahan and other cases.

“Paswan has revealed that Brij Kishor was the mastermind behind the derailments in Kanpur Dehat… He came in contact with Kishor last year through a common friend, Gajendra Sharma. Since then, Paswan was in touch with him… Paswan said he, along with Brij Kishor, Sharma, Rakesh Yadav and three others from Nepal were in Kanpur Dehat to plant the bombs,” said an official. “Paswan claimed to have got the bomb assembled from a youth, who was known to Brij Kishor,” he added.