New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet in the case of the Bodhgaya Temple complex bombing in January. According to the charge sheet, the blast was planned to mark the terrorists’ solidarity with Rohingya Muslims fighting the Myanmar government. The charge sheet has been filed against three accused.

“On Thursday, the NIA filed a charge sheet before a special NIA court, Patna, in the case of recovery and explosion of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at the Bodhgaya Temple Complex in Bihar against 3 accused persons for their involvement in the terrorist act of planting three IEDs in and around the temple complex on Jan 19,” the NIA said. 

There were 10 low-intensity blasts at the temple at a time when the Dalai Lama was visiting the place with other dignitaries. The same day,  on receiving information that some suspicious objects were lying near the Kalchakra Maidan, Bodhgaya, under a generator set, the police secured the site.

During the search operation, two more live IEDs were recovered. The charge sheet has been filed under Sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 

The NIA has claimed that the accused wanted to mark their solidarity with Rohingya Muslims, which was the main reason for the attack. The NIA said that the accused, Jahidul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman, had hatched a conspiracy with other accomplices to carry out terror activities in India by way of planting IEDs and carrying out explosions at “symbols of Buddhist faith in order to show solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims fighting the Myanmar government and to cause loss to public life and property, to wage war against Government of India and to overawe the Government of India.”

The accused contacted one another and assembled at various places, made their hideouts in Jahanabad and Masaurhi of Bihar, carried out reconnaissance of the targets at Bodhgaya and procured explosives and other materials for the manufacture of the IED.

“Accused Jahidul Islam, with the help of the other accused made three IEDs and two hand grenades. The IEDs were planted by Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain on the premises of Bodhgaya on January 19 in order to cause loss to public life and property during the Dalai Lama visit, the NIA said.