The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against five accused in the June 17 Darbhanga blast case. All of them are alleged operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, sources told CNN-News18.
The chargesheet also names one Iqbal Kana from Lahore, they said
The case pertains to an explosion in a parcel on platform number one of Darbhanga railway station of Bihar.
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An investigation revealed that LeT operatives had planned to set ablaze a moving long-distance train by placing incendiary improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or a parcel bomb, onboard, said sources.
The idea was that the whole train would catch fire and there would be considerable loss of life and property, they added.
In order to execute the task, on the directions of Pakistan-based LeT operative Hafeez Iqbal (aka Iqbal Kana), accused Mohd Nasir Khan and Imran Malik fabricated an IED, the sources said.
They used locally procured chemicals and placed them in a parcel of clothes.
According to the sources, the package was booked for the Secunderabad-Darbhanga Express, which departs in the night, with the intention that on triggering of the IED, the parcel would ignite and further set fire to other parcels booked in the van, converting it into a large conflagration.
The plan allegedly was to carry this out at night, so that it would go unnoticed for as long as possible and the blaze would engulf the sleeping passengers.
The investigation further revealed that accused Nasir Khan had travelled to Pakistan and received detailed training in ways of terrorism, said the sources, including for espionage, handling of arms and ammunition and fabricating IEDs.
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He also received funds from Pakistan on various occasions for the execution of the conspiracy, they added.
According to the sources, after the incident the Pakistan-based handlers had tried to facilitate the escape of the arrested accused to a foreign country through Nepal; however, they were apprehended before they could flee.
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