In the Patna blasts, conclusions have been drawn too quickly by intelligence agencies, writes Dr. M. Manzoor Alam.

There is a theory in criminology that says out of several suspects in a murder the most likely criminal is the person who benefits from the murder. From this perspective, the natural question that arises from the Patna blasts is, “who benefits from the Patna Gandhi Maidan blasts at the time of Narendra Modi’s rally?”

The clear answer is that BJP, and BJP alone, is going to benefit from the harvest of terror and death by presenting itself as the benefactor of people killed. To make sure that it reaps a rich harvest, it took out large processions of the ashes of the victims across six districts in Bihar. Communal hate and polarisation are sure winners of BJP.

However, like in the cases of more than 15 such blasts in the country, offset by Hindutva terrorists in the past, this too was ascribed to Muslim groups within hours of the incidence. In all the cases of Hindutva terror, from Malegaon, Samjhauta Express Makkah Masjid to Ajmer Dargah, Muslim youth were arrested, tortured and jailed.

The police and intelligence agencies manufactured elaborate stories, cross-referencing different episodes, even contriving evidence and proof. Later investigations exposed the lie. The Patna story, too, is suspiciously similar to past stories of Muslim youth being hunted for the sins of Hindutva terrorists.

There are angles in the terror episode that have simply been brushed aside, like all those cases of Hindutva terror, where important clues were wilfully discarded and false leads followed.

For instance, a Hindu youth was nabbed soon after the blasts in Patna, but the story disappeared from the media the very next day. Four Hindu suspects were caught recently, but the investigating agencies say they themselves are not terrorists. They are mere conduits for carrying Pakistani ISI’s money to the mysterious Indian Mujahideen.

This may not be the whole story. This is merely what meets the eye. Truth must be sought beyond the theories of the moment. Such theories have been discredited in at least 15 cases of Hindutva terror.

We must also see the whole thing in the perspective of who benefits from the Patna blasts. It is, of course, BJP that is going to benefit both from the blasts and the yatra carrying the ashes of the victims. Investigations must factor in these issues.