Sunday Times 2
Twin train blasts in Chennai: Playing politics over terror
Chennai on Thursday woke up to twin blasts at the Central Railway Station that left a 24-year-old woman techie dead and 14 others injured.
The two low-intensity bombs went off in quick succession in S4 and S5 coaches of the Bangalore-Guwahati Express about 10 minutes after it chugged into platform number nine at 7.05 a.m.
Indian police and security officials examine the scene of the bomb attack at the Chennai train station on May 1. AFP
Karnataka DIG Railways, B. Srikantappa said the trains are thoroughly checked at their origin station, and the explosive could have been planted en route. The train was, in fact, late by over an hour when it reached Chennai.
An initial probe revealed that the timer bombs were made of ammonium nitrate, ammonium toluene and sulphur.
The train continued its onward journey after authorities replaced the three damaged coaches and carried out an extensive search for any more bombs that may have been planted on the train. Other trains operated as per schedule after a brief disruption.
“A centralised CCTV system is in place and a proper investigation will be done,” Southern Railways General Manager Rakesh Mishra said.
Elsewhere in the city, the police intensified their combing operations and barricades were erected at several important places, besides carrying out intensive vehicle checks.
The police detained two suspects — a person who was hiding in the train for over two hours and another person from Assam who was trying to board a flight to Guwahati. However, their involvement was later ruled out.
The CB-CID officials are also in touch with the Bangalore Police as the train originated at Bangalore. Last year, IB officials had alerted the state police of possible terrorist intrusion from Sri Lanka via Rameshwaram.
TCS employee Swathi Paruchuri, who was killed in the twin blasts, was on her way home to Guntur for the first time after joining TCS Bangalore earlier this year.
Swathi Paruchuri: She was going home for the first time after joining TCS
“We are shattered. She was about to get married in a couple of months. She was everything to us,” said Rajalakshmi, Swathi’s grandmother.
TCS too, through a statement, said it was “shocked and saddened” by her death.
A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrived in Chennai to enquire the blasts. A section of the top brass of the state bureaucracy believes that the case should be handed over to the NIA.
“NIA’s wherewithal cannot be matched by the Tamil Nadu Police. Since several egos of the state have to be factored in, this cannot be an easy decision unless the Centre pushes for it,” a senior bureaucrat told India Today.
Meanwhile, the case has been given to the Crime Branch Criminal Investigations Department (CBCID) of the state police.
DMK President M. Karunanidhi criticised the Tamil Nadu government for being lethargic in preventing the bomb blasts in the train. In a statement, Karunanidhi said that if only the police had acted swiftly right after the arrest of a suspected ISI agent on April 29 in Chennai, the twin blasts could have been avoided.
One of the theories suggests that the attack could be in retaliation for the arrest. Karunanidhi squarely blamed Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the tragedy.
He added: “Law and order has totally collapsed in the state.”
The state BJP President Pon Radhakrishnan, on the other hand, floated a theory that the blasts were aimed at the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to address meetings at Nellore and Madanapalli, in Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday.
However, train number 12509 — in which the blasts took place — does not pass either of these stations.
All the political parties in the state – including PMK, MDMK, DMDK and the Congress – have condemned the blasts and criticised the police for being inactive in preventing Thursday’s tragedy.
Snubbing the Centre’s request for information on the train blasts in Chennai, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday refused to share details about the attack with the Union Home Ministry.
Even attempts by the federal anti-terror agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), failed as the Tamil Nadu Police turned down requests for information on the nature of the explosions and the suspects detained by local authorities.
Sources said a top NIA officer asked the Home Ministry to seek details in order to get vital leads, but the state police officials were not forthcoming. Details were sought about two persons sleeping on the floor of the two coaches who had disappeared when the blasts occurred, but all queries about suspects and the people detained for questioning were ignored.
“We extended all possible help, but the state government conveyed that it can handle the situation and, if required, they will seek assistance from the Centre,” a Home Ministry official said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who is strongly opposed to any interference from the Centre on the issue of law and order, refused to take any help from the Centre.
A National Security Guard (NSG) team was not sent to Chennai following the state government’s refusal to accept help from the Centre. While the Central agencies only have sketchy details, intelligence inputs suggested a group called Al Ummah could be planning attacks in Chennai.
© Daily Mail, London