Bhubaneswar: A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrived at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday to gather critical medical evidence as part of its ongoing investigation into the explosion at Azad Nagar in Sundarpada.
The incident occurred on January 27 when a blast ripped through a rented house at Azad Nagar under Airfield police limits, allegedly while crude bombs or explosive materials were being assembled on the rooftop. The explosion, with 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.
According to sources, the NIA team is examining medical records, including details of the victims’ admission in late January, their condition during treatment, and whether any statements were recorded from the injured before or during their hospital stay. Doctors and hospital staff involved in their care are likely to be questioned. The agency might also seek CCTV footage from the relevant period via a formal requisition, and obtain postmortem reports of the deceased.
The NIA formally took over the case from the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police in early April following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The central agency registered its own case to examine potential terror links, larger criminal networks involved in the manufacture and supply of explosives, and any broader conspiracy. Earlier, the agency had visited the blast site, questioned the house owner, witnesses, and surviving suspects, and reviewed forensic and digital evidence as part of a preliminary inquiry.
Police and forensic teams had recovered gunpowder and other explosive materials from the rooftop. Initial investigations suggested Malik, recently released on bail after a political clash in Nayapalli, was preparing explosives for supplying them to criminal groups. He had a long history of violent crime, including attempted murder, and faced seven serious cases under the arms Act registered at Nayapalli and Maitri Vihar police stations here.
