‘Bihar temple attack was in solidarity for Rohingya Muslims’

India’s National Investigation Agency has pressed charges against three members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Bihar Buddhist temple explosion case, saying that the bomb blasts were done “in order to show solidarity with Rohingya Muslims”.

The accused are Paigambar Sheikh alias Abdul Aziz, Ahmad Ali alias Kalu and Nur Alam Momin, all of them residents of Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

NIA submitted the charge sheet on Thursday in a special NIA court in Patna, capital city of Bihar, in connection with the recovery and explosion of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Bodhgaya Temple Complex in Bihar in January this year against the three accused persons for their involvement in terrorist act of planting the explosives.

The IEDs were planted at a time when Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was visiting the Bodhgaya temple on January 19, NIA said.

The charge sheet has been filed under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code, stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

NIA said its investigation into the incident also revealed the involvement of Jahidul Islam alias Kausar of Jamalpur in Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman alias Shaheen of Birbhum in West Bengal, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, and Abdul Karim of Murshidabad in West Bengal, and Arif Hussain alias Anas of Barpeta in Assam.

Four of these accused persons were arrested in August this year while Arif Hussain is still absconding.

NIA said Jahidul Islam is a senior member of JMB and Mustafizur Rahman is his close confidant.

Paigambar Sheikh, Ahmad Ali, Nur Alam, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim and Arif Hussain are all members of JMB, it said.

“Jahidul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman entered into a conspiracy with their other associates to carry out terror incidents in India by way of planting IEDs and carrying out explosions at symbols of Buddhist faith in order to show solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims fighting with Myanmar government and to cause loss to public life and property, to wage war against government of India and to overawe the government of India,” NIA said in the charge sheet.

The accused had taken shelters in Bihar, carried out reconnaissance of the targets at Bodhgaya and procured explosives and other materials for manufacture of the IED, it also said.

“Jahidul Islam, with the help of other co-accused, made three IEDs and two hand grenades. The IEDs were planted by Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain in the premises of Bodhgaya on January 19, 2018 in order to cause loss to public life and property during the auspicious presence of his holiness the Dalai Lama and also during the visit of his Excellency the Governor of Bihar at Bodhgaya, thus committing a terrorist act,” NIA added.

Source: thedailystar