60-year-old woman, who lost her home in 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, ordered 4 time bombs, arrested

Imrana claimed her house was destroyed during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, prompting her to seek explosives for protection against potential future communal violence. She provided Javed with funds for bomb-making, leading to her arrest on charges of negligent conduct regarding explosive substances

One of the two suspects arrested last week by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force for possession of four time bombs is an elderly woman, identified as Imrana Begum, aged 60, from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. This arrest stems from her alleged involvement in the manufacturing of the four time bombs that were discovered in Muzaffarnagar a few days prior.

The discovery of the time bombs initially unfolded when a man named Javed, aged 25, was apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) near Kali River in Muzaffarnagar on Thursday evening. Upon investigation, it was revealed that Javed had assembled the bombs with a timer, purportedly after acquiring knowledge from YouTube videos.

Imrana's involvement in the incident surfaced during the subsequent interrogation process. According to police reports, Imrana disclosed that her house had been ravaged during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, leading her to harbor concerns about potential future communal violence. Allegedly driven by a desire for self-defense, Imrana sought explosives for protection, thus prompting her to engage Javed's services in bomb-making.

The investigation further uncovered that Imrana had provided Javed with Rs 10,000 upfront for the preparation of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs), with an agreement to pay an additional Rs 40,000 upon delivery. Javed's arrest occurred during an attempt to hand over the IEDs to Imrana.

Consequently, Imrana has been charged under IPC Section 286 for negligent conduct regarding explosive substances, as well as Sections 4/5 of the Explosives Act. Following her arrest, Imrana was remanded to judicial custody and is anticipated to undergo further interrogation by law enforcement authorities.

Muzaffarnagar SSP Abhishek Singh emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation to establish the motive behind the assembly of the time bombs. He asserted that multiple facts need verification before any conclusive determination can be made regarding the underlying circumstances of the case.