Hans News Service Bhubaneswar

TheNational Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun its probe into a blast in Bhubaneswar in January that left two persons dead, officials said on Thursday. A three-member NIA team visited the Airfield police station here and collected documents, including FIRs and forensic reports, in connection with the blast that took place in Azad Nagar on January 27, a senior police officer said.

Investigators had visited the blast site in January, and examined forensic evidence and CCTV footage as part of a preliminary inquiry, he said. “As per the legal procedure, the case is being handed over to the NIA. Whatever documents they will ask for, we will provide to them,” ACP (Zone 2), Bhubaneswar, Krushna Chandra Palei, told reporters here.

The Central agency had written to Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh on Monday, seeking transfer of the case for a detailed probe into a possible terror angle behind the explosion, officials said. The NIA intends to examine possible links to larger criminal networks and ascertain whether high-grade explosives such as RDX were used in the blast.

The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police had earlier said four persons were injured when prime suspect Shahnawaz Malik (26), a history-sheeter, was allegedly assembling an explosive device on the rooftop of a rented house. Malik and a woman identified as Lizatun Bibi later succumbed to burn injuries, while two others survived, police said.

“Though it is suspected that Malik may have used some high-grade explosive material, it is yet to be confirmed whether that was RDX,” the officer added.