Bengaluru, Oct 25 (PTI) The blast at an under-construction building in Pulakeshinagar here was the result of personal rivalry and not a terror attack, Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said on Sunday.
Two people were injured in the explosion that took place on October 20 at an under-construction building here. Speculation were rife that the blast was the outcome of an experiment to make an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), but the Police Commissioner allayed all the doubts.
Singh announced the arrest of three accused and a reward of Rs three lakh for the police teams that cracked the case.
The incident occurred on the night before the main Dasara celebrations, and the police investigated all possible angles, including terrorism, before establishing the motive, he said.
“There is no need for people to be alarmed or panic, as the incident was motivated by personal enmity,” Singh told reporters.
The accused allegedly targeted a security guard by sending him a parcel containing a crude explosive device, but another worker opened it and suffered serious injuries.
According to police, the accused are Bhurhan Ahmad Burbhuiyya (20), Jahidul Hussain Burbhuiyya (27) and Sajidul Lashkar (22). The trio is from Dinanathpur of Hailakhandi district of Assam.
Their target was to eliminate Alauddin, who works as a security guard in the building at Pulakeshinagar, police said.
Burhan does welding and electric work at Maski Raichur. He had assembled and placed the IED and insisted victim Allauddin to open it.
Jahidul, the key conspirator, worked as salesman at a shop in Jayanagar. He is a relative of Allauddin and has financial, property and personal issues with his family.
Sajidul Lashkar is a childhood friend of Bhurhan and Jahidul and assisted them in executing the blast and provided shelter to Bhurhan.
Alauddin sustained minor injuries, the Commissioner said, adding that the injured worker was recovering in hospital.
The alleged motive involved financial and land disputes, besides a personal family issue, which the police are still verifying, he said.
The investigation involved more than 10 teams and assistance from central agencies, the Assam Police and the Raichur Police.
The police questioned more than 100 people and examined over 1,500 CCTV footage recordings to solve the case within 72 hours, Singh said.
“We questioned around 100 people in all. Through these interrogations and the coordinated efforts of our teams, we successfully cracked the case,” he said.
Police recovered materials from Burhan’s house and traced the places where the components had been purchased.
Investigators were also examining the accused’s internet browsing histories for information related to the assembly of such devices, he said.
The police found that the accused had used other people’s mobile phones during the operation, Singh said, urging the public to verify the identity of strangers before lending them their phones.
The investigation had initially been hampered by a lack of clues and attempts to mislead the police, but technical analysis, CCTV footage and discrepancies in the statements of those involved helped investigators identify the accused, he said.
The Commissioner said the incident had highlighted the need to improve CCTV surveillance across Bengaluru.
The police would install additional cameras in areas with inadequate coverage and ensure that cameras in public places, including BMTC buses, were functional and correctly positioned.
Two of the accused were already working in Bengaluru, including in establishments as servers and waiters, while another had travelled from Maski to assemble the device, he said.
The Commissioner said the investigation was continuing, including into the precise circumstances surrounding the delivery of the parcel and the personal disputes that allegedly led to the attack. PTI GMS ROH
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