Ranchi, July 6: The petrol bomb attack on the regional office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Nivaranpur in Ranchi was part of a larger terror conspiracy, according to disclosures made by the two main accused during interrogation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials said.
The arrested accused, identified as Aman Ansari and Satyam Sujan, allegedly confessed during questioning that the attack was carried out as part of a terrorist plot. The NIA has obtained a seven-day remand of both accused and has been interrogating them intensively for the past three days.
According to investigators, the accused were allegedly in constant contact with their handlers based in Pakistan and Dubai through video calls, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services and WhatsApp. The handlers are suspected to have provided online training on preparing and using petrol bombs through mobile applications.
The NIA is now probing how the accused travelled to Dubai and how they allegedly established links with the “Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan” module during their visit. Investigators are also examining whether the module received support from the Pakistan-based intelligence agency ISI.
Officials said the accused had allegedly planned to flee to Delhi via Bokaro, Kodarma and Bihar after carrying out the attack. The agency is investigating who was expected to shelter them in Delhi and whether they received logistical support from local contacts in Jharkhand.
The probe is also focused on tracing the flow of funds into the accused’s bank accounts and identifying other suspected sleeper cell networks operating in the state.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a parallel operation to dismantle terror networks and sleeper cells in the state.
The ATS has prepared a list of 61 terror suspects, including 12 allegedly linked to ISIS and 49 associated with Al-Qaeda-inspired networks, and circulated it to Superintendents of Police in all 24 districts with instructions to maintain strict surveillance over them.
The investigation into the Ranchi RSS office attack is continuing, with central and state agencies working jointly to identify the broader network behind the incident.
