Bhubaneswar: Forensic experts suspect that highly explosive materials, typically used in IEDs and RDX, may have been used in the preparation of a bomb that was accidentally detonated while being assembled on the rooftop of a residence in Bhubaneswar’s Airfield area on Tuesday.“We are yet to reach a conclusion. Preliminary findings suggest that the suspects may have used hexahydro trinitro triazine, a compound used in manufacturing high explosives like IEDs and RDX. Further clarity will emerge soon,” said a forensic source.The blast left four people critically injured — history-sheeter Sehnawaz Malik, his associate Amiya Mallick, Sehnawaz’s mother and his fiancée. All four are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which initiated a preliminary inquiry on Wednesday, visited the hospital on Thursday to record the statements of the injured.Police authorities, have for now, ruled out a terror angle. “We found no evidence of radicalisation or terror links involving the four individuals as of now. Probe is on, and Sehnawaz’s phone records are being examined,” a senior police officer said.Meanwhile, commissionerate police are probing the motive behind the manufacture of the high-intensity explosive. “We are investigating how the accused sourced the materials and what their intention was. Given Malik’s criminal background, we suspect the bomb was being prepared for unlawful activities,” said DCP Jagmohan Meena.Malik, who was released on bail six months ago following a political clash in Nayapalli, is now under close scrutiny. Investigators are working to determine whether he acted alone or had accomplices, and whether the explosives were intended for criminal operations or political violence.
