Two days after an explosion hit a passenger train in Madhya Pradesh, that the state security apparatus had claimed as an act of terror, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today informed Parliament that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will be probing both the Lucknow encounter case and the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast.
Speaking on the floor of the Lok Sabha, Rajnath informed that a total of six persons have been taken into custody in connection with both the cases.
The Home minister also touched upon the remark by the father of Saifullah, the alleged terrorist who was neutralised on the outskirts of Lucknow after an hours-long operation.
"I express sympathy for the father and I am sure the House joins me. The government is proud of Mohammed Sartaj and I am sure you are too," he said while referring to his father’s refusal to accept the body of his dead son on grounds of his involvement in terror.
"The government is proud of him and I am sure Parliament too is," he said.
Saifullah was suspected to be linked with the blast in the Bhopal-Ujjain train in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.
Giving details of various cases registered in the two states following the blast which injured 10 persons, he said that the state police arrested three suspects in Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, following which the UP cops acted in various parts of the state following information provided by the accused and nabbed three persons.
"The above sequence of events presents an excellent example of coordination amongst state police and central agencies. Due to the prompt action taken by the police of both the state, a possible threat to national security was successfully averted. Further investigations will be handed over to the NIA," he said.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad earlier this week busted a module of ISIS and killed one of its self-proclaimed member Saifullah. The commandos seized an ISIS flag, a train time table, 8 pistols and huge cache of arms and ammunitions from the encounter site, officials said.
