Rohini court blast case: Delhi Police arrest DRDO scientist
The Delhi Police Special Cell has ruled out a terror angle, but are trying to ascertain if others are involved.
FollowThe Delhi Police on Saturday claimed to have made a breakthrough in the Rohini court blast case with the arrest of a Defence Research and Development Organisation scientist. The low-intensity blast, which happened on December 9 inside the Rohini district court in Delhi while proceedings were on inside courtroom no 102, injured one person.
The 47-year-old accused has been identified as senior DRDO scientist Bharat Bhushan Kataria. According to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, said that the scientist had been booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 436 (Use of fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Explosives Act. Media reports said citing police sources that personal rivalry may have been the reason for the DRDO scientist to target a lawyer. The lawyer is reported to have filed around 10 cases against the scientist.
Asthana said the Special Cell team, which was probing the case, assessed 1,000 vehicles that came to the Rohini court that day and scanned footage from more than 100 CCTV cameras. CCTV footage showed the scientist walking around with a bag suspected to be an explosive device. The footage confirmed the lawyer's presence inside the court where his intended target -- a lawyer -- was also present. The Special Cell has ruled out a terror angle, but are trying to ascertain if others are involved.
According to Delhi Police sources, the bomb was placed in a steel tiffin, which contained ammonium nitrate-based explosives along with a significant amount of shrapnel. Forensic experts said only the detonator went off and not explosives as the tiffin bomb's circuit had not been properly assembled.
Sources further said that the remote that was used to detonate the bomb and other material used to make the improvised device was brought from an e-commerce website. Officers are investigating that how the accused managed to take explosives inside the court premises.
