Uttar Pradesh was rocked by serial bomb blasts on firday. As many as six blasts took place simultaneously between 1 and 1:30 pm in three different cities in UP. In total 13 lives were lost and over 59 others injured.

Six bombs — three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow — went off within a span of 15 minutes in the crowded court complexes between 1:10 pm and 1:25 pm. Some of bombs are believed to have been planted on cycles.

The first blasts occurred outside a court in Faizabad. Then another blast hit outside a civil court in Lucknow. And then three simultaneous blasts occurred within the district court campus in Varanasi. Police later recovered 2 more live bombs from the blast sites in Lucknow and Faizabad.

According to reports, a militant group called 'Indian Mujahideen' has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Reports said an e-mail was sent to major television networks in the country detailing the blasts, five minutes before it occurred. State and Central intelligence agencies are still examining Friday's email. But investigators believe that it could be just a smokescreen. The email is suspected to have been sent from the Rajdhani cyber cafe in east Delhi. The police are questioning the owner.

Both, central and state government have condemned serial bomb blasts in UP saying that it was aimed at fomenting communal strife in the country. Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters here that the blasts were ‘the handiwork of terrorists who wanted to divide the country on communal lines.’ He urged the people to remain united and ‘not allow the nefarious designs of terrorists to be successful.’ UP Chief Minister Mayawati has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakhs to the kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 to the injured.


Source: (Times, NDTV)