Three persons in police net for hurling bombs at RSS office

Roshan Kumar 
Ranchi

The Ranchi police have arrested three persons for allegedly hurling ‘petrol bombs’ at the RSS office in Ranchi with one of them suffering bullet injuries in a gunfight while trying to escape from police custody on Thursday afternoon, police said. The three arrested include Saif Ansari alias Rohit, Aman Ansari and Sayan Khan. 

“Three accused have been arrested so far. One of the accused escaped from police custody during interrogation at Ranchi’s Kotwali police station. The accused was arrested later from Ranchi’s Mandar area after a brief gunfight with security forces. He received bullet injuries in one of his legs, and he was admitted to a hospital in the city,” Ranchi City DSP K V Raman said.

Saif managed to escape from the Kotwali police station lock-up on Thursday afternoon by breaking a window—an incident that was captured on CCTV. Following his escape, the police formed multiple teams to track him down. He was later apprehended near the Mandar toll plaza while attempting to flee by bus. While the police were bringing him back, he allegedly tried to snatch a weapon from the officers and escape. The police retaliated, resulting in him being shot in the leg.

According to the police, the accused is undergoing continuous interrogation. Reports have also emerged that the accused recorded a video while throwing the petrol bomb and sent the footage to Pakistan. The police are currently investigating the matter, taking all aspects into account.

Investigators said Aman Ansari is suspected to be the mastermind behind the attack and was allegedly in direct contact with handlers linked to the conspiracy.

The petrol bomb attack on the RSS office in Ranchi’s Nivaranpur area had taken place late at night on June 16. The police are now conducting a thorough investigation into the conspiracy behind the attack, the network involved, and other potential links.

The attack took place at around 11.35 pm on June 16 when two petrol bombs were allegedly hurled at the RSS office. One of the devices was recovered outside the main gate, while another was thrown onto the building’s roof. No casualties were reported in the incident.

The two accused were apprehended from Lohardaga district late on Wednesday, and a car used by them was seized, while one more accused was held on June 18, the officer said.

Raman said that the interrogation of the accused is underway. “The accused are suspected to have terror links with ISI. The details will be shared after the investigation is over,” he said.

During the investigation, the police had recovered shards of glass bottles from the spot.

A forensic team visited the spot to ascertain the contents of the bottles, according to the police. The bomb detection and disposal squad also visited the RSS office. The contents of the bottles are suspected to be petrol, another officer said, adding: “No explosive item such as an IED was found”.