Bhuabneswar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday formally took over the investigation into the powerful explosion that rocked Azad Nagar area in Bhubaneswar’s Sundarpada earlier this year.
The central agency has registered its own case, shifting the probe from Commissionerate Police to examine potential larger criminal networks, terror angles, and the use of explosives
The incident occurred on January 27 when a blast ripped through a rented house in Azad Nagar under Airfield police limits, allegedly while crude bombs or explosive materials were being assembled on the rooftop. The explosion, with a viral CCTV footage showing a massive fireball and thick smoke, left four people critically injured, including prime suspect Shahnawaz Malik, a 26-year-old history-sheeter with multiple prior cases related to illegal bomb-making. Tragically, Malik and his mother, Lizatun Bibi, later succumbed to their burn injuries.
Police recovered recovered and seized incriminating materials, including explosive residues. Forensic experts initially suspected the possible use of high-grade explosive materials, including components associated with RDX and materials typically used in IEDs.
Police, however, had then ruled out a terror angle.
The NIA team had earlier visited the site, questioned the house owner, suspects, and witnesses, and examined forensic evidence and digital footage as part of a preliminary inquiry. Sources indicate that the agency is now intensifying its multi-angle investigation to uncover any broader conspiracy, possible high-profile syndicate involved in manufacturing crude bombss, and whether the incident has any terror connections.
