NIA to probe Lucknow encounter, MP train blast, confirms Rajnath Singh

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that the NIA will investigate suspected terror cases, including the Lucknow encounter in which an alleged terrorist linked with a train blast was killed.

While the Uttar Pradesh police shot dead suspected terrorist Mohammad Saifullah on Wednesday, six suspects have been arrested by cops in Madhya Pradesh and UP on terror charges, Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha.     

Members thumped desks when the Minister lauded Saifullah's father Mohammad Sartaj for his refusal to accept his son's body saying "if he could not be loyal to the country, how can he be ours".     

"The government is proud of him and I am sure Parliament too is," he said. Saifullah was suspected to be linked with the blast in the Bhopal-Ujjain train in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.     

Also Read: Lucknow terror encounter likely to be given to NIA for probe: Home ministry

Giving details of various cases registered in the two states following the blast which injured 10 persons, he said the state police arrested three suspects in Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, following which the UP cops acted in various parts of the state following information provided by the accused and nabbed three people.     

"The above sequence of events presents an excellent example of coordination amongst state police and central agencies. Due to the prompt action taken by the police of both the state, a possible threat to national security was successfully averted.

"Further investigations will be handed over to theNIA," he said. The Home Minister also informed the House that eight pistols, 630 live cartridges, Rs 1.5 lakh, three mobile phones, four sim cards, two wireless sets and some foreign currency were recovered from the place where Saifullah lived.