2008 Bangalore serial blasts

Last updated

2008 Bangalore serial blasts
Location Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Date25 July 2008
Attack type
 Bombings
Deaths1
Injured20

2008 Bangalore serial blasts occurred on 25 July 2008 in Bangalore, India. A series of nine bombs exploded in which 1 person was killed and 20 injured. [1] [2] [3] [4] According to the Bangalore City Police, the blasts were caused by low-intensity crude bombs triggered by timers. [2]

Contents

India already suffered from a similar series of blasts in Jaipur, in May 2008.

The Times of India has reported that either the banned organisation Students Islamic Movement of India or the militant organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba could be behind these blasts. [5] The Intelligence Bureau is not ruling out the involvement of these organisations, however the police maintain that it is too early to attribute blame to anyone. [3]

The bombings were followed by the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings one day later.

The bombings

It was initially reported that three blasts took place at around 1:30 pm IST. [6] [7] Later reports indicated that four low-intensity blasts occurred: One at Nayandahalli (1:30 PM IST), two in Madiwala (at 1:50 pm IST), and the last in Adugodi (2:10 pm). Other blasts were reported from areas including the Mallya hospital, Langford Road and Richmond Circle. [3] The Madiwala blast took place at a check post, behind The Forum, a popular shopping mall in Bangalore.

It has been reported that gelatin sticks were used in the bombs. Police indicated that all bombs had timer devices attached to them and that mobile phones were used to trigger the bombs. [3] The blasts were low-intensity but occurred in crowded areas. [8]

There was another bomb found on 26 July 2008 in Bangalore near Forum Mall, Koramangala which was diffused successfully by the Bomb Detection Squad. [10]

Casualties

Three persons were killed and 20 injured in the attacks. [2] The confirmed dead was a woman waiting at a bus shelter in Madiwala on the Hosur road; her husband and another person were seriously injured. The injured were admitted to the St. Johns Hospital. [3]

In response to the attack Prime Minister Singh sanctioned an ex gratia payment of Rs one lakh to the relatives of those dead and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the blasts. [11]

Reactions

President Pratibha Patil, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, Leader of the opposition L. K. Advani, Vice-president Hamid Ansari, Chief Minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yeddyurappa all condemned the violence and appealed for calm and communal harmony. [12] [13] [14]

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary J. Jayalalithaa called for the revival of special act like POTA to effectively counter terrorists and extremist outfits. [15] The All India Muslim Forum also "strongly condemned" the attack. [16]

Impacts

Calls by concerned and panicked citizens resulted in the telephone networks being jammed. [7] [17] Malls, schools and cinema halls across the city were shut down, and the police cordoned off the blast sites. [8]

The effect of the blast on the Sensex was immediately visible with losses exceeding 3.5% reported on Friday after the Bangalore blasts. The 30-share BSE index was down 3.7%, or 529.28 points at 14,228.81, with 23 components in the red. The 50-issue NSE index was down 2.9 percent at 4,305.30. [18]

The government has issued a statement that IT companies in Bangalore were not the target of the blast. This was reaffirmed when major IT companies based in the city -like Wipro and Infosys- reported that the blasts had no impact on their operations and that all employees were safe. Employees were, however, urged to leave for home early. [19] A new security plan for IT and other industries was announced by Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil immediately after the Bangalore serial blasts. Under the new amendment of law Central Industrial Security Force personnel could be used to safeguard private sector industries which till now was limited to public sector undertakings (PSUs). [20]

Investigation

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings. The Bangalore Police Commissioner, Shankar Bidari, termed the blasts "an act of miscreants" trying to disturb peace in the city. The Union Home Ministry of India named the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba and Students Islamic Movement of India, as the suspects. [3]

The Bangalore Police said that attack "bore some hallmarks" of the Bangladesh-based militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI). [21]

The Central Government of India had warned the Karnataka state government one day earlier that state was high on the terror hitlist along with six other Indian states  – Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Assam – and Union Territory Delhi. [20]

There is a possible connection with the Andhra and Varanasi attacks. An official was quoted as saying "The aim of these groups, whether HuJI or LeT or Simi, is clear. Bangalore and Hyderabad are being chosen as targets to create panic in the US as the cities house [the] biggest IT companies from the US." The Andhra – Karnataka link involves Raziuddin Nasir, a Hyderabad resident, and his aide Hafiz Khan Adnan from Bangalore, were arrested near Hubli in Karnataka this year. Furthermore, another clear link between the terror elements in both blasts is the explosive material used. In the Bangalore blasts an explosive with an ammonium nitrate base was used, while in the Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park explosions in Hyderabad a similar ammonium nitrate base was used. These were also of low intensity with the aim of creating panic. Like the Malegaon and Mecca Masjid blasts, it took place on a Friday during or just after the prayers. [22] In response to these blasts security was also beefed up in Andhra Pradesh. [23]

It was also reported that sleeper cells have gained a firm foothold in Karnataka with the discovery of terror camps in the Karnataka forest early in the year. In this vein, near-simultaneous blasts – all having the footprint of the jehadi network that had carried out blasts in Varanasi, Jaipur, Mumbai and elsewhere – point to the strong foothold terrorists have made in the city. [24]

On 29 July, the Bangalore police Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a SIMI activist named Sameer Sadiq in connection with the blasts. According to the police, Sadiq had played a key role in the Surat riots. He was staying at Gurapanapalya in Bangalore, the area which incidentally housed the SIMI office before it had been banned. [25]

On 30 July 2008, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) indicated that two men – Rasool Khan Parti and Mohammad Sufiya Ahmed Patangiya – currently living at Farahan Arcade Gulistan in Karachi were the masterminds behind the Ahmedabad and the Bangalore serial blasts. They used to reside in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Both are possibly members of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. The Gujarat Police has been looking for them in connection to the murder of former Gujarat state minister Haren Pandya. [26]

On 5 February 2009, Karnataka Police arrested Muhammed Zakaria, then 19 years old, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was accused of making timers for the blasts. Two witnesses have retracted their testimony alleging that the police made them witnesses and the case is fabricated. [27] In March 2020, Zakariya's mother, Biyumma filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking to declare the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), as unconstitutional. [28] Advocate Hashir K Muhammed created a documentary about Zakariya in 2017 titled 'A Documentary about disappearance.' [29]

In December 2009, two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists including Lashkar's South India commander Thadiyantevide Nasir were arrested by the Indian Forces from the Bangladesh border. Interrogation of them lead to significant evidences to the serial blasts in several Indian cities in 2008 especially the Bangalore blasts. Nasir's arrest paved way for the arrest of several Muslim youth from Kerala involved in terrorism, [30] as well as evidences for terror links of Kerala politician Abdul Nasser Madani. [31] Madani's wife Soofiya Madani was arrested by Kerala Police on 19 December 2009 on the ground that she had taken an active role in Kalamassery Tamil Nadu state transportation corporation bus burning case. The remand report presented by police in the court said Soofiya had confessed to her role in the case and links with Laskhar-e-Toiba South India commander Tadiyantavide Nasir. However, Soofiya's counsel said the charges were false. Nasir was Madani's ‘‘enemy’’ and had lied to police to implicate Soofiya, he claimed. But the prosecution pointed out that the Kerala high court while rejecting her anticipatory bail plea had said that the bus burning case was an act of terror. [32] T Nazir is involved in the cases ranging from the attempted murder of former kerala chief minister [E K Nayanar] to the recent[ when? ] Bangalore bomb blast for which he is under custody of Karnataka police. Bangalore police has already obtained ample proof that T Nazir and his associates like Abdul Sattar has good link with Madani family.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Students' Islamic Movement of India is a banned terrorist organisation that was formed in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in April 1977. The stated mission of SIMI is the ‘liberation of India’ by converting it to an Islamic land. The SIMI, an organisation of extremists has declared Jihad against India, the aim of which is to establish Dar-ul-Islam by either forcefully converting everyone to Islam or by violence. The Indian government describes it as a terrorist organisation, and banned it in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks. The ban was lifted in August 2008 by a special tribunal, but was reinstated by K.G. Balakrishnan, then Chief Justice, on 6 August 2008 on national security grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Nazer Mahdani</span> Indian politician and Islamic cleric (born 1966)

Abdul Nasar Ma'dani, also spelled Abdunnasir Ma'dani is an Indian politician and Islamic cleric. He is the leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in India</span> Overview of terrorism in India

Terrorism in India, according to the Home Ministry, poses a significant threat to the people of India. Compared to other countries, India faces a wide range of terror groups. Terrorism found in India includes Islamic terrorism, separatist terrorism, and left-wing terrorism India is one of the countries most impacted by terrorism.

In March 2006, the Indian city of Varanasi witnessed a series of bombings in which at least 28 people were reportedly killed and 101 injured. Varanasi is considered holy by Hindus and is one of the oldest living city in the world. In June 2022, after 16 years of hearing, Ghaziabad district and sessions court convicted the mastermind and terrorist Waliullah Khan and sentenced him to death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Mumbai train bombings</span> 2006 terrorist attack on the Mumbai Suburban Railway by Lashkar-e-Taiba

The 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts on 11 July. They took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains plying on the Western Line Suburban Section of the Mumbai Division of Western Railway. The blasts killed 209 people and injured over 700 more.

The 2006 Malegaon bombings took place on 8 September 2006 in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, 290 km northeast of Mumbai. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially blamed the bombings on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), but in a chargesheet filed in 2013 the NIA and ATS joint investigation and involved evidences pointed towards involvement of an extremist group Abhinav Bharat in the said bombings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Front of India</span> Banned Indian Muslim political organisation

Popular Front of India (PFI) is an Islamic political organisation in India, that engages in a radical and exclusivist style of Muslim minority politics. Formed to counter Hindutva groups, it was banned by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 28 September 2022 for a period of five years.

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 Hyderabad bombings refers to the incident in which two bombs exploded almost simultaneously on 25 August 2007 in Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The first bomb exploded in Lumbini Amusement Park at 19:45 hrs IST. The second bomb exploded five minutes later at 19:50 in Gokul Chat Bhandar in Koti, a popular restaurant about 5 kilometres (3 mi) away. At least 42 people were reported to have died in the two bombings. Two more bombs were defused in other parts of the city. According to initial reports, the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami militant outfit of Bangladesh is suspected for the serial blasts.

Safdar Nagori was the General-Secretary of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), an Islamist organization designated as a terrorist organization by the Government of India.

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 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 a span of 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.

Abdul Qureshi is a formerly most wanted islamist bomb-maker and one of the most wanted terrorists in India and has been called India's Osama Bin Laden. He is suspected to be associated with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and is thought to have been responsible for participating in the Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Delhi bombings. He is also a suspect in the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. He is more commonly known as Tauqeer and is believed to be the signer in the Indian Mujahideen terror email as al-Arabi. Abdul Subhan Qureshi was arrested by Delhi Police in January 2018. He was listed on the NIA Most Wanted list.

The history of Mumbai during the 21st century covers the Indian city of Mumbai in the 21st century, during which the city suffered several terrorist attacks.

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.

2010 Bangalore stadium bombing occurred on 17 April 2010 in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, India before a 2010 Indian Premier League match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. Two bombs exploded around a heavily packed Cricket stadium in which fifteen people were injured. A third bomb was defused outside the stadium. According to the Bangalore City Police, the blasts were caused by low-intensity crude bombs made of powergel which is used in quarrying and were triggered by timers. On 18 April, two more bombs were located near the stadium during search operations.

Fasih Mahmood aka Fasih Mohammed is an alleged member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist terror group. A native of Bihar, he is accused of committing terrorist attacks and recruiting members for terror related activities. He was arrested with suspected involvement with the 2010 Chinnaswamy Stadium blast in Bangalore and a terror attack near Jama Masjid (Delhi) in 2010 and is wanted by both Delhi and Karnataka Police.

Azam Ghauri was a Terrorist belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba and was wanted for various crimes including the 1993 serial bomb blasts.

Syed Abdul Karim alias Tunda, was a bomb maker of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, and 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Nine blasts rock Bangalore | Chaos and curiousity[sic]". IBN Live. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 August 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 8 blasts rock Bangalore
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nanjappa, Vicky (25 July 2008). "9 blasts rock Bengaluru; 1 killed, 7 injured". Rediff. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Incident Summary for GTDID: 200807250003". Global Terrorism Database . Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "SIMI, LeT may be behind Bangalore blasts: IB". The Times of India . 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  6. ↑ IBNLive.com. 25 July 2008. 2:55 pm IST.
  7. 1 2 IBN Live
  8. 1 2 "'Serial bombs' hit India's IT hub". BBC. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  9. ↑ "Bangalore blasts: When and where". The Times of India . 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  10. ↑ Another bomb found in Bangalore, defused-India-The Times of India
  11. ↑ "Manmohan Singh condemns Bangalore blasts". Daily News and Analysis. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "PM, Karnataka CM condemn blasts; call for calm". CNN IBN. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 30 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  13. ↑ The Hindu News Update Service
  14. ↑ "Serial blasts rattle Bangalore; woman killed". The Hindu . 26 July 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  15. ↑ The Hindu News Update Service Archived 28 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ South Asia Contact Group Achieve: Re: [SouthAsiaContact] Condemnation of Banglore and Ahmedabad Blasts – Dr.M.K.Sherwani Archived 28 July 2012 at archive.today
  17. ↑ Five blasts hit Bangalore Archived 28 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine . NDTV. 25 July 2008.
  18. ↑ "Indian shares extend fall on Bangalore blasts news". Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  19. ↑ "Blasts have no impact on operations: Infosys, Wipro". The Times of India. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  20. 1 2 Mohan, Vishwa (25 July 2008). "Centre warned Karnataka just a day before attack". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  21. ↑ Seven small blasts hit Indian IT city of Bangalore. Reuters.
  22. ↑ "Clear link with terror elements of Andhra". The Times of India . 26 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  23. ↑ "High alert in Andhra Pradesh - Sify.com". Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2008.
  24. ↑ Sleeper cells gain foothold in Bangalore-India-The Times of India
  25. ↑ "Bangalore arrest turns focus back on SIMI". Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  26. ↑ "IB identifies Pak-based masterminds". Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  27. ↑ Mirza, Sahal Muhammed,Adila Matra,Syed Shiyaz (24 April 2019). "11 Years a 'Terrorist': How Cops Faked Testimonies Against Zakaria". TheQuint. Retrieved 19 September 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ Abdulla, Shaheen (25 July 2020). "Beyummah, a mother who challenges UAPA". Maktoob. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  29. ↑ Fatima, Nikhat (14 February 2019). "Ten years as an undertrial, but no justice in sight: The tragic fate of Zakariya". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  30. ↑ Three more arrested in Bangalore blasts case
  31. ↑ Nasir confesses to links with Madani
  32. ↑ "Terror: Soofiya Madani sent to 14-day judicial custody | India News - Times of India". The Times of India .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.