NIA to probe possible link between blasts at Delhi and Agra

The National Investigating Agency, which is being kept busy with the probe into the Delhi high court blast, is taking a close look at the blast at Agra on Saturday in which six people were injured.

A day after the attack, four persons were detained and questioned. The police, however, have not managed to get much out of them, but continue to look into smaller modules which could have possibly carried out such an attack.

Although Agra has been a terror target since it is a tourist attraction, the police have not really been able to find any proper activity by fringe groups till date.

According to the police, there are some small terror cells in this region, but they have mostly found them to be self-motivated.

"There are spillover factions from Delhi which are working in Agra and they are not capable of carrying out big attacks. However, these modules can be irritants and are capable of carrying out such small time attacks only to create diversions," a source in the NIA said.

Sources in the NIA add that they would look at the Agra blast along with the Delhi blast and see if there was any connection.

"There is nothing conclusive at the moment to show that it was an act of terror, but when you read this attack with the recent intelligence warning regarding Agra, it is an angle that we would want to explore," the source adds.

The intelligence warning which was sounded in respect of Agra spoke about an attack on tourist places. Further it was also said that some disgruntled youth from Delhi who are still upset with the Batla House encounter are forming smaller groups to carry out such strikes.

Hospitals have always been soft targets and it is probably the easiest place to sneak a bomb into. There is a lot of activity and one can see that even in bigger places security at hospitals is very low. Moreover, the Indian Mujahideen has carried out an attack in a hospital during the Ahmedabad blasts.

The investigations meanwhile are progressing into the Agra blasts. The preliminary report regarding the explosives have shown that there was a mixture of potassium chlorate, sulphur and charcoal and the same was packed with sharp objects in a cylindrical object. An IED was used to trigger the bomb with a 9 volt battery.

Sources in the investigating agencies say that they have however found no connection between the Delhi and Agra blasts.

Although it is suspected that it was carried out to confuse investigators, there is no direct link that has been found.

However, if the NIA says it is the Harkat-ul-Jihadi-Islami which has carried out the Delhi blast, it is not necessary that a module of the HuJI had to carry out a blast in Agra to divert investigators.

Terror modules of different groups do not necessarily interact with each other, but they do understand each other's interests and can act on behalf of one another in times of need.

This could have been the case in the Agra blasts and an angle that investigators are exploring. Terror groups do realise that some inroads are being made in the Delhi blast and the NIA has even taken the probe down south.

They are planning on questioning some operatives in Kerala which includes T Nasir, the accused in the Bangalore blasts case. Although there may not be any direct link with the Delhi blast, it would help the NIA understand the formation of the HuJI in India better, NIA sources add.