Cops: PLFI responsible for Patna flat blast

Patna police Tuesday narrowed down the responsibility for the blast in a Bahadurpur Housing Colony flat last week to banned Maoist outfit People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI) and said the outfit has been looking to spread its operations in Bihar.

Police has been looking for PLFI mastermind Sonu and his close aide Chhotu, who reportedly supplied bomb material to main accused in the blast, Kundan Rai, a Nalanda resident who is now under police custody. A Jharkhand Police team has also arrived in Patna to cooperate in the investigation. PLFI is also blamed for the March 2014 murder of AJSU leader Tileshwar Sahu in Jharkhand.

Patna SSP Jitendra Rana said, “Kundan’s interrogation revealed PLFI that wants to spread its operations in Bihar. We are looking for main accused Sonu.” Jharkhand Police had already traced the Nalanda connection in the Sahu murder case.

Kundan was the PLFI’s main recruit in Bihar, say sources. The Maoist outfit had been planning to use Patna as a base to supply bomb materials to other places in Bihar where several Left-wing extremism projects have been underway. Police also questioned Kundan’s girlfriend and has reportedly learnt that the engineering dropout has come into money recently.

A police source said, “Bomb materials were brought from Jharkhand to the Bahadurpur Housing Colony flat. But the bomb was to be made at another location.” Patna police has so far arrested four persons regarding the case and is looking for two more Nalanda residents.

Source:: Indian Express