2014 Burdwan blast
| 2014 Burdwan blast | |
|---|---|
 Location of West Bengal in India | |
| Location | Burdwan, West Bengal, India |
| Date | 2 October 2014 |
| Weapons | Improvised explosive devices, RDX |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh |
| Convicted | 21 |
| Verdict | Life sentence |
| Charges | Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, 1959, The Foreigners Act, 1946 |
On 2 October 2014, an explosion occurred in a house in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan. Two terrorists (initially suspected to be from the Indian Mujahideen) were killed and a third injured. The police seized 55 improvised explosive devices, RDX, wrist watch dials and SIM cards.
In August 2019, 19 people including 4 Bangladeshi citizens, members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were convicted of carrying out the attacks by a National Investigation Agency special court.[1] In February 2021, Kausar from Mymensingh in Bangladesh, a member of the JMB was convicted and sentenced to 29-years in jail by an NIA court under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Foreigners Act. He is also accused of being involved in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings.[2] In June 2022, Mohd Mosiuddin also from the JMB, was convicted for his involvement in the attacks and given a life-sentence.[3] He was also convicted of plotting to behead foreign tourists in Kolkata by a sessions court, and is suspected of being an Islamic State member and had a history of other violent offences including throwing a shoe at the judge during a previous hearing.[4]
Blast
[edit]On 2 October 2014 at 12:00 noon, an explosion occurred in a two-storeyed building in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan.[5] The building was owned by Nurul Hasan Chowdhury who used to stay in another house across the road.[5] Hasan Chowdhury was a leader of the Trinamool Congress and the ground floor of the building was used as Trinamool Congress party office.[6] During the 2008 and 2013 Panchayat elections, it was used as the election office by the Trinamool Congress. Chowdhury had rented the first floor of the building to one Shakil Ahmed for a monthly rent of ₹4,700.[5]
Locals informed the police and the fire brigade when they heard the sound of explosion and saw smoke billowing out of the first floor room.[5] When the police arrived, two women inside the building prevented the police from entering at gunpoint, threatening to blow up the building and destroyed several documents and evidences.[6]
Shakil Ahmed who had rented the place and hailed from Karimpur in Nadia district, died on the spot.[5] Two persons were injured. One of them Sobhan Mondal died later at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.[5] The other named Abdul Hakim, from Lalgola in Murshidabad district, was admitted to the hospital in the critical condition.[5] The two women, wives of Shakil Ahmed and Abdul Hakim and their two children were left unharmed.
The police arrested the two women. More than 50 improvised explosive devices were recovered. The police also seized large numbers of wrist watch dials, SIM cards and tools used to prepare improvised explosive devices.[7] Micro SD cards containing propaganda songs, Taliban training videos were recovered.[8] Fake Indian documents like elector's card and passport were found.[8] Maps and half burnt books in Arabic too were recovered.[6] The CID detonated the improvised explosive devices on the banks of Damodar.
Investigation
[edit]A National Investigation Agency team reached Burdwan on 3 October for investigation.[9] Preliminary investigations by the CID hint towards a group named 'Al Jihad' being involved in the activities.[8] According to the NIA, the Al Jihad module had planned a series of ten blasts in Kolkata during the Durga Puja.[10] A team from Central Forensic Research Laboratory reached the spot on 4 October. They inspected the sand from the detonation site and suspected that the operatives belonged to Indian Mujahideen.
See also
[edit]- Raktabeej, 2023 Indian film based on the terrorist attack
References
[edit]- ^ "19 including 4 Bangladeshis convicted in 2014 Burdwan blasts". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Shukla, Manish (11 February 2021). "Burdwan blast case: Court sentences Bangladeshi terrorist to 29 yrs in jail". Zee News. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Kolkata: Life sentence for Musa in 2014 Burdwan bomb blast case". The Economic Times. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Suspected ISIS Operative Hurls Shoe At Judge During Hearing In Kolkata". NDTV.com. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Two suspected militants killed in blast in Burdwan". The Indian Express. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ a b c Chakraborty, Debajyoti (5 October 2014). "IM men killed making IEDs in Trinamool leader's house". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "Two women arrested for Bengal blast". Yahoo News. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ a b c "বর্ধমান বিস্ফোরণে জঙ্গি-যোগ, সন্দেহ সিআইডির". Ei Samay. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ Konar, Debasis (3 October 2014). "NIA team reaches Burdwan blast site". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "NIA probe suggests Al-Qaida link behind Burdwan blasts". The Times of India. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
Further reading
[edit]- Ajit Sahi (8 December 2014). "That House in Burdwan". Outlook. Retrieved 30 November 2014.