Computer engineer detained in Kashmir blast case

Police have detained a computer engineer and is on lookout for two more persons in connection with the March 22 deadly car bomb explosion that left one dead and wounded 20 in south Kashmir.

A senior police confirmed that Mohammad Iqbal Bhat, a computer engineer from south Kashmir Awantipore town with links to Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit, was detained by the police for his involvement in the explosion.

The officer also said that Mohammad Abbas Dar, who was killed in the blast on the spot, was in fact an accomplice of the detained engineer.

The family of the computer engineer has contested the police version saying that Bhat is innocent.

The officer said the car bomb had been planted to target some passing security force convoy or a VIP on the highway, but the bomb went off prematurely.

Police had earlier said that Abbas Dar was a civilian and had no militant connection.

The car bomb explosion rocked the south Kashmir highway town of Bijbehara, March 22 killing one person and wounding 20 others including three paramilitary central reserve police force troopers.

Several shops and vehicles were damaged in the blast.