Maudany’s hand suspected in blasts at Chinnaswamy stadium

BANGALORE - Karnataka Home Minister V.S. Acharya Tuesday said People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nasir Maudany had a hand in the twin blasts before an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Chinnaswamy Stadium here in April this year.

“He (Maudany) has a hand in them (Chinnaswamy blasts) also,” the home minister told reporters but he declined to elaborate as Karnataka Police is continuing questioning Maudany on his role in the 2008 serial blasts in Bangalore that killed one woman and injured 15 people.

“Interrogation of other prime suspects in the 2008 blasts has revealed that Maudany was involved in them. They have revealed their links with him,” he said.

Maudany is the 31st of the 32 people chargesheeted in the Bangalore blasts case.

Two low-intensity bombs went off at Chinnaswamy Stadium, about an hour before the start of the Royal Challengers Bangalore-Mumbai Indians tie in April, injuring 15 people and delaying the match by an hour.

The explosions damaged the boundary wall of the stadium. The next day, an explosive device was found near Gate No. 1, generally used by the players and VIPs to enter and exit the stadium.

Though the match went off without trouble, the explosions prompted the IPL authorities to shift the two semi-finals from Chinnaswamy Stadium to Mumbai.

Acharya did not reveal what the police had gathered from interrogating Maudany in the last six days.

“Probe is on and we are sure of getting all the information,” he said.

The PDP chief was arrested by the Karnataka Police from his camp in Kerala Aug 17. His police custody will end Aug 26.

The home minister said the police may seek an extension of Maudany’s custody.