After Bihar Police, NIA Says ISI Behind Recent Train Accidents In India

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe in three recent rail accident cases, has said that it finds merit in the ISI-backed sabotage angle that the Bihar police had earlier pointed to. Recent rail accidents in India, including an attempt to blast tracks in Bihar's East Champaran district, have exposed gaps in the security of critical infrastructure.

"There are no contradictions whatsoever in what they had told the Bihar police earlier and now our own sleuths. They seem to be very sure of and consistent in their 'disclosures'. Also, technical evidence points to conversations between the arrested accused on the one hand and Nepalese handler Brij Kishore Giri, Dubai-based mastermind Shamsul Huda and Karachi-based suspected ISI agent Shafi Shaikh on the other, lending credence to the ISI involvement theory," Times Of India quoted a Home ministry official as saying.

One of the three criminals arrested by Bihar police, identified as Umashankar Patel, had been in touch with both Huda and Shaikh. An officer told TOI that the gang had decided to blow up several tracks in the country using IEDs. “That they were in direct touch with Huda as well as an alleged Karachi-based kingpin having links with ISI, has led NIA to strongly suspect an ISI angle to the alleged sabotage involving passenger trains in India”, the officer added.

Interestingly, Indian Mujahideen operatives, who were trained and funded by ISI, also used IEDs. Over 90 ready-to-use IEDs were found when the police raided their hideouts. This similarity, also observed in other cases where ISI was involved, further solidifies the claims laid by Bihar police. A 2011 report by USA Today says that over 80 per cent of IEDs are produced in Pakistan.