Chennai Train Bombing (2014)

The Chennai train bombing of 2014 was a terrorist attack aboard a train at Chennai Central Railway Station in India in which one woman was killed and fourteen others were injured.

Date: On May 1, 2014, two low-intensity bombs exploded aboard the Guwahati-Bangalore Express train just after the train reached the Chennai Central Station.

Place: Chennai, India

Key Events

• May 1, 2014-At 7:05 a.m., the Guwahati-Bangalore Express arrives late to Chennai Central Station.
• May 1, 2014-At 7:15 a.m., two low-intensity explosions occur in the S4 and S5 coaches of the Guwahati-Bangalore train, killing twenty-four-year-old commuter Swathi Parachuri and injuring fourteen others; a high-security alert is issued in Delhi.
• May 3, 2014-Preliminary investigation indicates that the bombs might have been planted between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. as the train was on its way to Chennai Station. Police identify a suspect who booked seats in the S4 and S5 coaches under the name Rahman.
• October 2, 2014-An explosion occurs in a building in Burdwan, India, leading to the arrest of two women and the seizure of more than fifty explosive devices, Taliban training videos, and a variety of other items connected with terrorism. Police suggest a similarity between the explosion in Burdwan and the Chennai train bombing.

Status

As of October 2015, no suspects had been identified or arrested in direct connection with the Chennai train bombing of May 2014. Police statements indicated interest in at least one suspect spotted via closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, but the suspect was later cleared of involvement. Police also showed interest in a link with the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and in suspected ISI agent Mohammed Zakir Hussain, who was arrested in Tamil Nadu, but no substantive links between Hussain and the train bombing were reported by police.

In-Depth Overview

Terrorism in India is widespread, with some eight hundred terrorist cells active in India, according to a 2008 government estimate. Indian authorities have accused Pakistan, and specifically the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) organization, of having participated in and managed some of India's terrorist cells. Pakistan has repeatedly denied involvement in terrorist incidents.

On May 1, 2014, at approximately 7:15 a.m., two low-intensity blasts occurred aboard the Bangalore-Guwahati Express train while the train was stopped at the Chennai Central railway station. The explosives detonated in coaches S4 and S5, injuring fourteen individuals aboard the train. One individual, twenty-four-year-old software engineer Swathi Parachuri, who was employed by information technology company Tata Consultancy Services, died in the incident. Parachuri, it was later revealed, was on her way home to Guntur.

The initial police investigation revealed that the Bangalore-Guwahati Express train was running more than an hour and a half late at the time of the explosion and that the explosives may have been placed on the train between 1:30 and 2:00 a.m. that day. As a result, police investigators suggested that the Chennai Central train station may not have been the intended target, as the explosives may have been intended to explode after the train had left the station.

Of the fourteen individuals injured in the train attack, most suffered wounds to their legs, as both explosive devices were hidden under seats. The explosive that killed Parachuri was located under Parachuri's seat. Two of the fourteen individuals were taken to emergency surgery and all other injured individuals were taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment. The investigation revealed that the explosives used were low-intensity improvised explosive devices placed in pipes with a timing device. The explosive used was ammonium nitrate-based. There had been no alerts at the time regarding a possible terrorist incident, and no individuals or groups claimed responsibility after the incident.

After a thorough search of the train, additional police and security were brought in to train stations connected to Chennai Central and passengers were subjected to additional security checks. Because the incident was a suspected terrorist attack, the government issued a security alert for Delhi and surrounding areas. The train resumed operation at 12:15 p.m.

Examination of CCTV footage from the station indicated a possible subject running through the terminal shortly before the explosion occurred. In addition, investigators detained an individual seen roaming the Bangalore station and who had purchased a ticket using a false name and address. The individual was later released, as police found no evidence indicating that the individual was connected to the bombing.

Shortly after the attack, investigators stated they were looking into alleged ISI spy Mohammed Zakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan believed to be a member of the Pakistani intelligence organization. Police investigating the Chennai incident were reportedly interested in interviewing Hussain regarding the incident, but no definitive connections were established between Hussain, the ISI, and the train bombing. Security services also interviewed Amir Zubair Siddiqui, a Pakistani diplomat who allegedly served as Hussain's intelligence handler. (Hussain was later convicted of plotting to bomb an Israeli consulate in Bangalore.)

To help compensate those injured or in other ways affected by the incident, the Southern Railway company announced that they would be paying 100,000 rupees (around $1,600) to the family of the deceased woman, 25,000 to individuals who sustained serious injuries, and 5,000 to individuals with minor injuries. The state government of Tamil Nadu announced in the following days that the government would issue similar payments to victims and their families.

On October 2, 2014, police responded to an explosion in Burdwan (or Bardhaman), India, and found a home used by terrorists for manufacturing improvised explosives; also in the home where the accidental explosion took place, police found propaganda material from the Taliban terrorist organization, and a variety of other supplies used in terrorist attacks. Police noted similarities between the bomb materials found at the Burdwan home and the materials used in the Chennai bombing; media reports initially connected the two events, though subsequent investigations found no substantive links between the Burdwan terrorist base and the Chennai incident.

Key Figures

J. Jayalalithaa: Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, who ordered a police investigation and issued payment to the victims of the explosions and their families.

Swathi Parachuri: Twenty-four-year-old passenger and sole casualty from the Chennai train bombing.

J. K. Tripathi: Chennai police chief charged with investigating the Chennai incident.

Bibliography

Datta, S. (2015, November 7). Burdwan blast suspect held. The Telegraph (India). Retrieved from http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151107/jsp/northeast/story%5F51840.jsp

India train blast kills woman. (2014, May 1). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/india-train-blast-kills-woman

Lazarus, N. (2014, May 1). India train bomb blasts leave woman dead. Sky News. Retrieved from http://news.sky.com/story/1252918/india-train-bomb-blasts-leave-woman-dead

Mishra, A. K. N. (2015, April 19). Burdwan blast: Key suspect Ibrahim Sheikh arrested in Jharkland. The Times of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Burdwan-blast-Key-suspect-Ibrahim-Sheikh-arrested-in-Jharkhand/articleshow/46976327.cms

Twin blasts hit India express train. (2014, May 1). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-27233840