Patna NIA court sentences six to imprisonment in 2016 Bihar railway track IED planting case

The accused were involved in planting a Pressure Cooker IED on the railway track in a bid to blast a passenger train

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Patna, on October 5, sentenced six accused to imprisonment and fine under various penal sections in a 2016 case related to planting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the railway track near Ghorasahan railway station in East Champaran district of Bihar.

Issuing a press note, the NIA stated that the accused were involved in planting a Pressure Cooker IED on the railway track on the night of September 30, in a bid to blast a passenger train coming from Narkatiaganj (West Champaran), but the IED was spotted by local people and successfully defused before it could explode.

During the investigation, the local police established the involvement of accused Umashankar Raut, Gajendra Sharma, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Mukesh Kumar Yadav, Motilal Paswan and Ranjay Kumar Sah alias Ranjay.

While three of the accused were arrested initially by the local police, two accused were nabbed later by NIA on different occasions, which took over the probe in January 2017. The sixth accused had surrendered in February 2017. The chargesheet against all accused was filed by NIA in July 2017.

On September 24, 2024, the NIA court had held the accused guilty. On Saturday, the court announced the quantum of the sentences against them under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act and Railway Act.

The sentences pronounced by the court range from five to 12 years of imprisonment along with fine, and will run concurrently, with extension of three months imprisonment in case of non-payment of fine.

Published - October 06, 2024 03:22 am IST