NIA arrests 2 Lashkar terrorists from Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday said it had arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Hyderabad in connection with the Darbhanga railway station blast case of Bihar. The accused had set off a bomb on a running passenger train resulting in huge loss of lives and property.

The arrested were identified as Imran Malik alias Imran Khan and Mohd Nasir Khan alias Nasir Malik, both brothers residing at Nampally, Hyderabad. Both of them are from Uttar Pradesh.

Initially the case was booked by the Railway police of Bihar relating to a parcel bomb explosion on Platform No. 1 of Darbhanga railway station on June 17.

Investigation revealed that the parcel was booked at Secunderabad and had arrived on Train No. 07007 Secunderabad- Darbhanga Express.

"The accused have revealed a transnational conspiracy hatched by top operatives of proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyaba  (LeT) to execute terror acts across India and cause large-scale damage to life and property,"  the NIA said.

Acting under the directions of Pakistan-based LeT, the brothers fabricated an incendiary IED and packed it in a parcel and booked the same on a long-distance train from Secunderabad to Darbhanga. This was aimed at causing explosion and fire in a running passenger train.

The NIA probe also revealed that Mohd Nasir Khan had visited Pakistan in  2012  and had received training from LeT to make an IED from locally available chemicals. He along with his brother Imran was in touch with the LeT over encrypted communication platforms.

The arrested brothers have been remanded to judicial custody, the NIA said adding that further investigation is underway.