Bodh Gaya blasts: Man arrested for helping procure explosives

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a man from West Bengal's Bandel railway station on Monday. The man has been arrested in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya serial blasts.

According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast.

All five accused in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings were found guilty by a special Patna court on May 25. The accused belonged to the terror group Indian Mujahideen.

The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigative Agency (NIA) Special Court on June 1.

Umer Siddiqui, Azaharuddin Qureshi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujibullah Ansari and a juvenile, all belonging to the Indian Mujahideen, were accused in the case.

Last year, a Juvenile Justice Board in Patna had convicted the juvenile and sentenced him to three years in connection with the Patna and Bodh Gaya blast cases. The accused juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places.

The accused was also involved in Patna's Gandhi Maidan blast.

Maha Bodhi temple, situated in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, was jolted by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, 2013. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the incident.

The temple assumes great significance to Buddhists owing to the belief that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at the spot. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(With inputs from ANI)