Few details are available on the past of Hyder Ali, the prime suspect in both the Bodh Gaya and Patna blasts cases. But intelligence sources say he was involved in the Students Islamic Movement of India prior to its proscription in 2001. The Indian Mujahideen’s key leadership was drawn from SIMI’s radical fringe, which sought violent reprisal for communal violence against Muslims.
Bihar Director-General of Police Abhayanand told journalists in Patna that police had also found 25 gelatine sticks, 14 detonators and shrapnel from the room at Iram Lodge in Ranchi, along with CDs and DVDs on anti-Muslim violence in India and abroad.
The gelatine sticks carry the brand name ‘Raj Power-90’ of an explosives-manufacturing company based in Rajasthan. The same brand was used in Patna. The address of Gujarat-based supplier Rose Plastics was on one of the explosives-laden bags found at Gandhi Maidan.
Jharkhand Police officials said they were investigating suspicions that the IM may have recruited many other members in the region. “With suspects being traced to both Seethio and Ormanjhi, it seems Ranchi’s peripheral areas were targeted for recruitment. While Manzar Imam, Danish Riyaz had undergone training in Kerala, these boys [appear to have been trained locally] and were not trained extensively,” said Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police S.K. Singh.
