IED not used in madrassa blast: Banka DM

BHAGALPUR: Banka DM Suharsh Bhagat on Thursday said Tuesday’s explosion at a madrassa in Navtolia village was probably triggered by crude bombs which were concealed in a container inside the building.
Addressing a joint conference with SP Arvind Kumar Gupta, the DM said it was not an improvised explosive device (IED) blast. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the crude bombs somehow exploded and it resulted in collapse of the madrassa walls.Eventually, the building collapsed,” the DM said.
The SP said a sum of Rs 1.65 lakh was recovered from the almirah of Maulana Abdul Momin Ansari, imam of the adjacent mosque, who died in the blast. “No other incriminating document was recovered,” he said, adding investigations were being made from different angles.
“We are also looking into various hearsays related to use of IED in the explosion. Past incidents of bomb blasts in the district are also being revisited,” the SP said.
The madrassa where the explosion occurred was not registered. “It was constructed on private land,” the DM said, adding the state government does not control this particular madrassa.
Meanwhile, the four-member team of anti-terrorism squad (ATS) of the state police continued its investigation on Thursday in cooperation with Banka police. Along with joint investigations, the ATS team is also making separate inquiries. It will submit its report to the state police headquarters after in-depth investigations, sources said.
Bhagalpur zone DIG Sujeet Kumar said, “We are waiting for the forensic science laboratory (FSL) report.”
The SP said chemical analysis of the evidences gathered so far is being conducted by the FSL to come to a conclusion about the nature of explosive and the quantity of the explosives that blew the madrassa.
“We are making investigations scientifically and gathering information from eyewitnesses. An elderly person who resides in the vicinity of the madrassa has provided some important information,” the SP added.
He said some village women have also provided insights into the incident. “Several police and intelligence teams are doing their level best to crack the case. We are working with the ATS as a team to conclude the multi-directional investigations,” Gupta said.
A massive explosion had occurred at the madrassa at the Noori Islampur mosque building at Navtolia village around 8am on Tuesday. Major part of the building had collapsed in the explosion.
Meanwhile, last rites of the imam of the madrassa, whose body was recovered from the outskirts of the village on Tuesday evening, was conducted at his native village in Sarath block of Deoghar in neighbouring Jharkhand.