Bengaluru, Aug. 24: The Karnataka home minister, Mr V.S. Acharya, on Tuesday disclosed that PDP chief Abdul Nasser Madani was involved in the low intensity blasts outside Chinnaswamy Stadium just ahead of an Indian Premier League match in April this year.
The incident left 17 people, including nine police personnel, injured. Speaking to reporters, Mr Acharya said: “During the investigation, Madani revealed that he was involved in the KSCA blasts. So, the police is likely to ask for an extension of his custody to attract more information. There is prima facie evidence of his involvement in the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast. A clearer picture will emerge in a couple of days. More arrests are likely to happen.”
Replying to a query, Dr Acharya said Madani was remanded to police custody by the magistrate till August 26.
“Ten days are not sufficient to collect all information from the accused. The accused is fasting during Ramzan so the police could not interrogate him fully. Therefore, it has become imperative for the police to seek his (custody) extension in the days to come,” he explained.
Answering a question, the home minister asserted that investigation in the 2008 bomb blasts was in progress. “We are confident that we will get full information on the conspiracy as nearly 17 accused who had been arrested in this connection had met Madani,” he said.
Refusing to give more details on the investigations, Dr Acharya said his department does not interfere in criminal investigation. “The police team is carrying out investigations independently and they are free to take the assistance of anybody in their probe,” he said.