Bodh Gaya blasts probe: NIA releases 2 sketches of suspect

Bodh Gaya, July 16: In a major breakthrough, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has released two sketches of the suspect of the Bodh Gaya blasts case, on Tuesday.

According to reports, NIA has released two sketches of a suspect on the basis of eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage.

NIA released two sketches on its website, in one sketch the suspect is wearing a mask and in another his bare face is shown.

Sources in NIA said that the sketches have been released on the basis of details provided by three eyewitnesses who saw the suspect before the blasts on July 7 and also material emanating from CCTV footage.

Among the witnesses, whose names have been kept secret for probe purposes, two are foreigners and one local. The foreigners are from Sri Lanka and Thailand while the third one is a local Gaya native, the sources said.

The suspect in monk attire is also seen moving around in the temple in the wee hours (around 3:30 AM to 4:30 AM) of July 7.

NIA has also released CCTV footage and sought information about the suspect. The agency has already announced a reward of Rs 6 lakh for providing information about the blasts suspect.

Last Sunday, Bihar's Mahabodhi temple was rocked by a series of 13 bombs out of which three live bombs were defused by the security forces.

While four explosions took place inside the Mahabodhi shrine campus, the rest exploded elsewhere in Bodh Gaya.

Two monks were reportedly injured in the blasts that took early morning.

The Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) government handed over the blasts probe to the NIA. NIA had earlier detained two natives of Gaya from Maoist-infested Barachhati and four youngsters, including a girl, in Patna in connection with the incident. But, they were all released for want of evidence.

OneIndia News

(With PTI inputs)