Bhojpur police remain clueless about Ara Dharamshala blast

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : Bhojpur police remain clueless about explosion in a room at Harkhen Kumar Jain Dharamshala, Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district, on February 15, 2018, morning. Two criminals were injured in the explosion and were admitted to Ara Sadar Hospital where the doctors referred one of them to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in view of his critical condition. Doors of the rooms of the Dharamshala were broken due to impact of the blast and even the railing of an adjacent house was damaged.

Five criminals from Telipada in Kolkata,West Bengal, had checked in at Harkhen Kumar Jain Dharamshala at about 6.30am on February 15. They were allotted Room No 10. Jitendra Kumar Singh, a resident of village Ganghar under Ara Muffassil police station, submitted his Aadhar Card with address of West Bengal for allocation of room at the Dharmshala. The Dharmshala staff showed them their room located on the first floor.

As the staff returned to the Dharmshala office, a bomb exploded in the room in which Madan Paswan alias Vicky Paswan alias Vrihspati Paswan, son of Mangal Paswan, was seriously  injured. His right leg and index figure of his hand were blown off and hand was injured and he was bleeding profusely.

In the melee, all the four associates of Vicky Paswan including Jitendra Kumar Singh escaped from the Dharmshala. Jitendra took shelter in a room in Machhua Toli locality under Town police station, Ara, but police arrested him from there. Vicky Paswan also tried to escape but Manager of the Dharmshala, Amarjeet Singh, caught him and handed him over to police.

Vicky Paswan said at Ara Sadar Hospital that they had come from Vibhuti Express from Kolkata on February 15 morning itself on a major mission and checked in at the Dharmshala but suddenly the bomb exploded. He said that he had 10 bombs in his bags.

Sources said that Jitendra Kumar lives at Telipada in Kolkata. He had allegedly escaped with his sister-in-law, wife of his cousin brother, a year ago and stayed with his friend Vikas at Mokama. He also shot at and injured his uncle but his uncle survived.

An Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) team led by its DSP Kundan Kumar Singh, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, NIA team, CRPF, Sniffer Dog squad, Bomb Disposal Squad reached Ara. The team of ATS and the Bomb Disposal Squad recovered five live bombs, three pistols, four magazines full of  live cartridges and two mobiles from the spot.

DSP, ATS, Kundan Kumar Singh said that only five live bombs were found in a bag. He said that some more bombs might be hidden in other bags. He said that the bombs would be defused on February 16. DSP Sanjay Kumar said that the border of the district has been sealed and police were searching for the remaining three criminals.

Bhojpur SP Awakash Kumar did not say anything on the issue. He directed the doctors at  Ara Sadar Hospital not to allow any mediaperson inside the emergency ward. Even the SHO Town police station, Ara,  Jai Prakash Singh, was saying that the miscreants were making bombs in the rooms of the Dhramshala when a bomb exploded. But, it was surprising as no one can make 10 bombs in 10 minutes as the miscreants checked in the Dharmshala at 6.30 am and the bomb exploded at about 6.40 am.