Malappuram blast: Recovered pen drive presents threat to PM Modi, and other politicians

A pen drive seized from the low-intensity IED blast near a court complex at the civil station in Malappuram, had information as well as photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, some Union ministers and BJP leaders, police said, as the probe began on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_3086840” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty images[/caption] A report by Hindustan Times said that the pen drive also contained material which hinted that terrorists could target important places in the country as well, including Red Fort and Parliament. “Information stored in the pen drive has revealed that similar blasts were to be carried out at other places. There is nothing alarming but there are indications of some places (which could be targeted),” Thrissur Range IGP MR Ajit Kumar, one of the investigating officers, told reporters after visiting the site of the blast. “Some pamphlets have been recovered. There was a map of India and they had written certain things in connection with the recent developments in the country,” he said. The pamphlets stated that the murder of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh for consuming beef, would be avenged. A photo of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was also recovered from the spot. According to a report by The Indian Express, police suspect the terrorist outfit, ‘Base Movement,’ behind the blast, on the basis of a box retrieved from the site with the group’s name on it. It was also revealed that they had planned more of such attacks in the country. “As per the evidence we have got so far, the same group which had carried out blasts at court complexes in Chittoor, Mysuru and Kollam, was behind the blast,” Ajit Kumar said. He refused to divulge further details, saying investigations were on. Although, According to The Hindu report, the Kerala police claim the motive of the group and its political nature still remains vague. The police is unsure whether they are dealing with a pan-south Indian group or a group with a nation-wide presence. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), state police and forces from other states are also involved in the investigations, with the state government forming a special team to probe the incident, the second in Kerala this year after a similar blast at Kollam Collectorate in June. The matter also figured in the Assembly on Wednesday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stating that those behind the blast wanted to ruin the state’s “peaceful” atmosphere and only a “comprehensive probe” could unearth the reasons behind it. With inputs from PTI