2011 Delhi bombing | |
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Location | Sher Shah Road, Delhi, India |
Coordinates | 28°36′32″N77°14′10″E / 28.6090°N 77.2362°E |
Date | 7 September 2011 10:14 IST (UTC+05:30) |
Attack type | Bombings |
Weapons | Improvised explosive devices made with Ammonium nitrate, PETN |
Deaths | 15 [1] |
Injured | 79 [1] |
Perpetrators | Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami [2] Indian Mujahideen |
Motive | Commuting death sentence of Afzal Guru |
The 2011 Delhi bombing took place in the Indian capital Delhi on Wednesday, 7 September 2011 at 10:14 local time outside Gate No. 5 of the Delhi High Court, where a suspected briefcase bomb was planted. [3] The blast killed 15 people and injured 79. Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami claimed responsibility for the attack, and is believed to have carried out the attack with support from the Indian Mujahideen, it stated motive was the commuting of the death sentence for 2001 Indian Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. [4]
Previously, a low-intensity blast also occurred at the High Court outside Gate No. 7 on 25 May with no reported casualties. [5]
The attack took place while Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on a historic two-day official state visit to Bangladesh, to discuss Bangladesh–India relations. [6] The attack also happened less than two months after bombings in Mumbai on 13 July which killed 26 people.
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The blast took place at 10:14 IST on 7 September 2011. Explosives were placed in a briefcase at the high court reception where hundreds of people throng every day to attend court cases, Home Secretary R.K. Singh said to reporters. [7] According to the special secretary in the Home Ministry, two kilos of explosives were used, with ammonium nitrate and PETN to cause considerable damage even though used in a small amount. [8]
According to reports immediately following the blasts, responsibility for the bombings was claimed by the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) group. [2] In an email attributed to HuJI, the group is alleged to have demanded that Mohammed Afzal Guru, convicted for the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, should not be hanged as ordered by the Supreme Court. [9] However, Afzal Guru strongly denied any such link to the attack, and said that his name was being "unnecessarily" dragged into the "cowardly act" which "must be condemned by all". [10]
A day after this email, another email was sent by the Indian Mujahideen to television media, allegedly claiming that the attack was carried out by IM and not HuJI and also threatened it would carry out more attacks on shopping complexes on the coming Tuesday. [11]
On 10 September, the Indian Union Home Secretary stated that it was not necessary that the emails claiming responsibility for the Delhi High Court blast were sent by the actual perpetrators and added that it could have been other people who, when they heard about the blast, sent the emails. [12]
A sketch of two suspected persons was released by the Delhi Police Department on the day of the bombing. According to police sources, the sketches were based on the description given by an eyewitness. The sketch showed one person in his 50s, and another in his mid-20s. [13]
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigations, [14] and set up a 20-member team to examine the email. [15] The Central Forensic Science Laboratory is examining the composition of the explosives and it is expected to release the results in the next few days, on which NIA will act accordingly. [16] The email sent by HuJI was traced to have been sent from a cyber cafe named Global Internet Cafe located at Malik Market in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA team in Jammu and Kashmir detained three suspects including the cyber cafe owner and his brother for questioning. [17] However, the Director-General of the NIA, said that it was too premature to comment on the HuJI mail but (they) were looking at it seriously because HuJI was a very prominent group which considered India its primary target. [18] A NIA team arrested a man from Patna due to his alleged involvement in misusing a stolen ATM card and was cross-examined by the NIA team. [19] Another email sent in the name of Indian Mujahideen was traced to a Monu Ojha, a 22-year-old school dropout in Ahmedabad, who confessed to deliberately creating a hoax email. [11] [20]
A separate investigation was set up by the Delhi Police Department after the Intelligence Bureau said that only one input[ clarification needed ] was received, which specifically cited Muslim extremists who are supporters of the Khalistan movement and may conduct illegal activities in the city. [21]
On 7 October, the National Investigation Agency arrested a medical student from Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir named Wasim Akram Malik, who they claimed was a key conspirator of the blast. [22] [23] Kashmiri Wasim Akram Malik, a student of Unani medicine in Bangladesh, [24] was arrested from the Indo-Bangladesh border, on basis of leads derived from other detained suspects. The NIA team had zoomed in on Kishtwar after receiving emails from a cyber cafe in the area. The NIA claimed that the arrested have strong links to the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. [22] Public Relation Officer (PRO) Defence, Col R K Palta claimed killing of two terrorists on 6 August 2012 in the Trothil forest area of the Kishtwar district. These have been identified as Amir Ali and Mohmmad Shafi alias Sakib. Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Kishtwar-Doda-Ramban range claimed that Amir Ali is the prime accused in the Delhi High Court blast. [25]
"Wasim Malik, an avid internet user, is one of those leaderless jehadis who conspired with the terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen and other outfits and executed this cowardly and inhuman terrorist action"
National Investigation Agency [26]
In March 2012, the NIA filed a charge sheet against six accused, including a minor. The accused named in the charge sheet are: Wasim Akram Malik, Malik's brother Junaid Akram Malik, Amir Abbas Dev, Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz and Amir Kamal. Out of them, Amir Dev turned approver and was granted pardon by court. [27] Junaid, Shakir, Amir are still absconding. [26]
On 4 September 2012, a special NIA court in New Delhi found sufficient prima facie evidence against Malik under Indian Penal Code provisions dealing with criminal conspiracy, murder and attempt to murder and various terror charges. However, the court dropped the charges dealing with waging war against the nation and conspiracy and collecting arms to wage a war against the nation. The court fixed 1 October for framing of charges. [26] [27]
President Pratibha Patil condemned the blast and condoled the loss of lives in the incident. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while on a two-day stay in Dhaka, remarked: "I just heard the sad news from Delhi about the bomb blast. I am told that 10 people have been killed. This is cowardly act of terrorist nature. We will deal with it. We will never succumb to the pressure of terrorism." [28] Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the blast was likely a job of local militants and remarked that "India was concerned about how to prevent the radicalisation of its youth." [29]
Indian Muslim religious leaders[ vague ] termed the blast as an act against humanity and suspected that it could be a deep conspiracy to destabilize the secular system of India. They appealed to the members of Muslim community to oppose such acts with loud voice and extend all possible support to the government in tackling the crisis. [30]
As attack coincided with Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh, and also because of the 13 July 2011 Mumbai bombings coincided with meetings between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, some analysts[ who? ] suggested the attack was an attempt to divert attention from the agreements reached between Bangladesh and India. [31]
The 2005 Delhi bombings occurred on 29 October 2005 in Delhi, India, killing 62 people and injuring at least 210 others in three explosions. The bombings came only two days before the important festival of Diwali, which is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. The bombs were triggered in two markets in central and south Delhi and in a bus south of the city. The Pakistani Islamist terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attacks under the pseudonym of Islamic Inquilab Mahaz. The Indian Mujahideen is also suspected of involvement.
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami is a Pakistani Islamist extremist, fundamentalist and terrorist organisation affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
The 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train passed Diwana near the Indian city of Panipat, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of New Delhi. 70 people were killed in the ensuing fire and dozens more were injured. Of the 70 fatalities, most were Pakistani civilians. The victims also included some Indian civilians and three railway policemen.
The Mecca Masjid blast occurred on 18 May 2007 inside the Mecca Masjid, a mosque located in the old city area of Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Telangana located very close to Charminar. The blast was caused by a cellphone-triggered pipe bomb placed near the site designated for ablution. Two further live IEDs were found and defused by the police. Sixteen people were reported dead in the immediate aftermath, of whom five were killed by the police firing after the incident while trying to quell the mob angered by what they considered police failure to protect the Muslims during their worship.
Six consecutive serial blasts rocked Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad courts in Uttar Pradesh on 23 November 2007 afternoon in a span of 25 minutes, in which reportedly many people were killed and several others injured.
The Jaipur bombings were a series of nine synchronized bomb blasts that took place on 13 May 2008 within a span of 15 minutes at locations in Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan and a tourist destination. Official reports confirm 63 dead with 216 or more people injured. The bombings shocked most of India and resulted in widespread condemnation from leaders across the world with many countries showing solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism.
The 2008 Ahmedabad bombings were a series of 21 bomb blasts that hit Ahmedabad, India, on 26 July 2008, within a span of 70 minutes. Fifty-six people were killed and over 200 people were injured. Ahmedabad is the cultural and commercial heart of Gujarat state and a large part of western India. The blasts were considered to be of low intensity and were similar to the Bangalore blasts, Karnataka which occurred the day before. This bombings were done by Pakistani Islamic Terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami.
Indian Mujahideen (IM) is an Islamist terrorist group which has been particularly active in India. The jihadist group was founded as an offshoot of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) by several radicalized members including Iqbal Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal, Yasin Bhatkal, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, Amir Reza Khan and Sadiq Israr Sheikh, among others. It has been active since at least 2005 when it bombed the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. It carried out several serial-bombings in Indian cities in the following years notably the 2007 Uttar Pradesh bombings, 2008 Jaipur bombings, 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, 2008 Delhi bombings, 2010 Pune bombing, 2011 Mumbai bombings, 2011 Delhi bombing, 2013 Patna bombings, 2013 Hyderabad blasts and the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings.
The 13 September 2008 Delhi bombings were a series of five synchronised bomb blasts that took place within the span of a few minutes on Saturday, 13 September 2008 at various locations in Delhi, India. The first bomb exploded at 18:07 IST, and four other blasts followed in succession, with at least 20 people killed and over 90 injured.
In the 2008 Agartala bombings at least 4 people were killed and a 100 injured on 1 October 2008 in a series of 5 blasts set off in Agartala, capital of the Indian state of Tripura, within 45 minutes, while two unexploded bombs were defused.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a specialised counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written proclamation from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The primary mandate of the National Investigation Agency is to investigate and prosecute offences that have national and cross-border implications, specifically focusing on terrorism, insurgency, and other related matters. It is empowered to investigate cases that involve threats to the sovereignty, security, and integrity of India. It has the authority to conduct searches, make seizures and arrests, as well as to collect evidence and maintain a database of terrorist organisations and their members.
The 2010 Pune bombing, also known as 13/7 and the German bakery blast, occurred on 13 February 2010 at approximately 19:15 Indian Standard Time, when a bomb exploded at a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune, Maharashtra. The blast killed 18 people, and injured at least 60 more, including an Italian woman, two Sudanese students and an Iranian student.
The 2010 Jama Masjid attack occurred on 19 September 2010 when two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a tourist bus near Gate 3 of the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, India and injured two Taiwanese tourists. The incident provoked fears about security for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi. About three hours later a car parked approximately 150 meters from the spot caught fire, apparently due to a minor blast.
The 2010 Varanasi bombing was a blast that occurred on 7 December 2010, in one of the holiest Hindu cities, Varanasi. The explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the sunset aarti, the evening prayer ritual to the holy river, Ganges had commenced, on these stone steps leading to it, where thousands of worshipers and tourists had gathered. It killed a two-year-old girl, sitting on her mother's lap, the mother was one of three critically injured, more than 38 other people were injured. In the ensuing panic after the blast, a railing broke causing a stampede leading to an increase in the number of injuries. The bomb was hidden inside a milk container on the Sheetla Ghat. The blast occurred a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots killing over 2,000 people. Subsequently, the Islamist militant group, Indian Mujahideen, claimed responsibility of the blast, via email to Indian media. This is also the second terrorism-related incident in the city which was rocked by the serial blasts of 2006, in which 28 people were killed, it included an explosion at the Sankatmochan Temple, some two kilometres away.
The 2011 Mumbai bombings, also known as 13/7, were a series of three coordinated bomb explosions at different locations in Mumbai, India, on 13 July 2011 between 18:54 and 19:06 IST. The blasts occurred at the Opera House, at Zaveri Bazaar and at Dadar West localities, leaving 26 killed and 130 injured. Indian Mujahideen is believed to have carried out the attack with the personal involvement of its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal.
Syed Mohammed Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa, known as Yasin Bhatkal, is a convicted Indian Islamist terrorist, who was the co-founder and leader of the proscribed terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen (IM). Yasin along with Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal, among others, founded the terrorist organisation around 2005. The jihadist group has carried out several attacks against civilian targets in India and Yasin was notably personally involved in the 2010 Pune bombing, 2010 Bangalore stadium bombing, 2011 Mumbai bombings, 2012 Pune bombings and the 2013 Hyderabad blasts.
On 21 February 2013, at around 19:00 IST, two blasts occurred in the city of Hyderabad, India. The bombs exploded in Dilsukhnagar, a crowded shopping area, within 100 metres (330 ft) of each other. The first explosion occurred outside a roadside eatery named A1 Mirchi, next to the Anand Tiffin Centre and opposite the Konark movie hall, followed by the second one two minutes later near the Route 107 bus stand close to the Venkatadri theatre. In December 2016, Yasin Bhatkal - the co-founder of Indian Mujahideen, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman, Asadullah Akhtar, Tahaseen Akhtar, and Ajaz Shaikh were sentenced to death by a National Investigation Agency special court for carrying out the attacks under the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
On 7 July 2013 a series of ten bombs exploded in and around the Mahabodhi Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bodh Gaya, India. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured by the blasts. Three other devices were defused by bomb-disposal squads at a number of locations in Gaya.
Syed Abdul Karim, alias Tunda was accused of masterminding over 40 bombings in India supported by Pakistani terrorists. He was arrested by Indian authorities on 16 August 2013 from the India-Nepal border at Banbasa. However, the exact timings of this arrest is disputed with various versions being reported.