Ranchi: Nine bombs have been found in one room of a privately-run small hotel in Ranchi, around 350 kilometres from Patna.The bombs were discovered when the National Investigating Agency or NIA raided the hotel after a tip-off that a room had been rented by Haider Ali, one the main suspects in the serial blasts that hit Patna last month, hours before a rally for Narendra Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Six people were killed and 83 injured in the attack which investigators link to a newly-formed branch in Ranchi of terror group Indian Mujahideen, though it has not claimed responsibility.Haider Ali is among the six accused of the attack. Last week, the NIA raided a village in Jharkhand to find him but then, like today, he managed to escape.
Investigators say Haider Ali is allegedly in close touch with Tehseen Akhtar, who has been effectively running the Mujahideen since its reported co-founder Yasin Bhatkal was arrested in August.
Those handling the case say that Haider Ali passed on instructions from Tehseen Akhtar to the man assigned to execute the attacks, Imtiaz Ansari. He was arrested while trying to run away from the train station where the first of seven bombs exploded in Patna.
Another 11 bombs were found and defused in the city.