2010 Bangalore stadium bombing occurred on 17 April 2010 in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, India. Two bombs exploded around a heavily packed Cricket stadium in which fifteen people were injured. A third bomb was found and defused outside the stadium. According to the Bangalore City Police, the blasts were caused by low-intensity crude bombs triggered by timers.
Background
Bangalore is the information technology hub of India with more than 40% of the country's IT and software industry based there. Earlier in 2008, Bangalore had suffered serial blasts. India already suffered from a series of blasts in Jaipur, in May 2008. A day before the explosions, the US State Department had issued a travel alert in which it said: "The US government continues to receive information that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in India".
The bombings
The stadium was packed with people who had come to watch a match in the popular cricket tournament. An hour before the start of the match two bombs had exploded and a third bomb was found and defused outside the stadium. According to the witness there was a loud sound and people started running. As a result of the blasts portions of an outer wall of the stadium was blown off. After the bomb blast police secured the area following which the Twenty20 cricket match between the home team Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, started an hour late at.
Casualties
Initial reports indicated that ten people have been injured. The number of injured later increased to fifteen. Five security men were also among the injured.
Investigations
Preliminary investigations soon after the event showed that a timer device had been used for the bombings. The police commissioner of Bangalore Shankar Bidari said the two bombs that exploded may have been hidden behind a plastic board. He said "It is a minor bomb blast, but investigations are in full swing to find out who is responsible,"
Abdul Naseer Madani
In Aug 2010, People's Democratic Party chairman Abdul Naseer Madani's interrogation had admitted his involved in the twin blasts. Karnataka home minister VS Acharya had said "We are likely to ask for extension Madani's custody. There is an indirect involvement in blast outside Chinnaswamy stadium blast. A clearer picture will emerge in a couple of days. More arrests are likely and inquiry may reveal more names." Madani was arrested on 17 August at Kollam in Kerala in connection with the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts case. He was listed as the 31st accused in an additional chargesheet filed by the police in July after confessions by suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba operative T Nazir linked him to the 2008 Bangalore blasts.
In 2010, the Karnataka investigators had said that the attacks were likely to have been carried out by a jihadist cell led by Karachi based jihadist, Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri's key lieutenant Yasin Bhatkal. Yasin Bhatkal has been identified by the Central Bureau of Investigation as the 1973 born Bhatkal resident Ahmad Zarar Siddibapa. He is wanted by Interpol for multiple terrorism-related crimes. Soon after the arrest of several of Mr. Siddibapa's alleged associates from Darbhanga, in Bihar police began investigating Mr. Mehmood's possible role in the cell.
Some of the suspects were later arrested from Darbhanga, in Bihar state. Based on their statements given to the local police, the Central Bureau of Investigation was asked to seek an Interpol Red-corner notice for the arrest of Saudi Arabia based engineer Fasih Mehmood, who is sought by India for his alleged role in the bomb attacks at the cricket stadium. Mehmood, originally from Bihar's Madhubani district had moved to Saudi Arabia in 2007 after obtaining his Bachelor's in technology degree from a college in the coastal Karnataka town of Bhatkal. According to his family, he knew Karachi based jihadist, Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri, one of the Indian Mujahideen's three top commanders, as a student, but denies he had any knowledge of or association with terrorist activities. So far police have made seven arrests linked to the cricket stadium bombing.
Impacts
The Bangalore stadium blasts had necessitated the shifting of two IPL matches from Bangalore to Mumbai.
