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

On 2 October 2014, an explosion occurred in a house in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan. Two suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists were killed and a third injured. The police seized 55 improvised explosive devices, RDX, wrist watch dials and SIM cards.

Blast[]

On 2 October 2014 at 12:00 noon, an explosion occurred in a two-storeyed building in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan.^[1] The building was owned by Nurul Hasan Chowdhury who used to stay in another house across the road.^[1] Hasan Chowdhury was a leader of the Trinamool Congress and the ground floor of the building was used as Trinamool Congress party office.^[2] 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 INR 4,700.^[1]

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Shakil Ahmed who had rented the place and hailed from Karimpur in Nadia district, died on the spot.^[1] Two persons were injured. One of them Sobhan Mondal died later at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.^[1] The other named Abdul Hakim, from Lalgola in Murshidabad district, was admitted to the hospital in the critical condition.^[1] 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.^[3] Micro SD cards containing propaganda songs, Taliban training videos were recovered.^[4] Fake Indian documents like elector's card and passport were found.^[4] Maps and half burnt books in Arabic too were recovered.^[2] The CID detonated the improvised explosive devices on the banks of Damodar.

Investigation[]

A National Investigation Agency team reached Burdwan on 3 October for investigation.^[5] Preliminary investigations by the CID hint towards a group named 'Al Jihad' being involved in the activities.^[4] According to the NIA, the Al Jihad module had planned a series of ten blasts in Kolkata during the Durga Puja.^[6] 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.

References[]

Burdwan blast case: NIA court sentences top Bangladeshi terrorist to 29 years in jail

Kausar, a resident of Bangladesh's Maymansingh division, was convicted by the court under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Foreigners Act. He is also a charge-sheeted accused in another NIA case relating to Bihar's Bodh Gaya Blast which took place in January 2018.

https://zeenews.india.com/india/burdwan-blast-case-nia-court-sentences-top-bangladeshi-terrorist-to-29-years-in-jail-2341070.html

Further reading[]

• Ajit Sahi (8 December 2014). "That House in Burdwan". Outlook. Retrieved 30 November 2014.