Delhi Police on Saturday said that they have launched a probe into the major security lapse at the Rohini court complex where a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist was allegedly able to smuggle in an improvised explosive device (IED) without raising any suspicion. Police said the suspect, Bharat Bhushan Kataria, wanted to murder his former neighbour, a lawyer, over a decade-long rivalry.

According to police, CCTV footage from the entrance gate on December 9 showed that Kataria, who was dressed as a lawyer, entered the court complex carrying two bags, one of them containing the IED in a steel tiffin box, and even passed through the door frame metal detector (DFMD) at gate number 7 without raising any suspicion. The video footage from the entry gate showed that Kataria also raised the bag containing the bomb, keeping it away from the hand-held metal detector, during frisking.

Officials said there was a baggage scanner installed at the gate but it was not clear if Kataria’s bags went through it.

“The statements of the security personnel present at the gates will be recorded to ascertain if the DFMD or the hand held metal detector had beeped when Kataria was frisked during his entry. If the machines were functioning properly and had beeped after detecting the metal item (the steel tiffin box), why did they not bother to open the bag and search. Prime facie, it seems that the personnel ignored the beep, thinking that it was just a lawyer carrying his lunch box,” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.

A double-layer security arrangement was put in place at all the nine entry and exit gates of the Rohini court complex, after dreaded gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi, was shot dead by two gunmen dressed as lawyers in courtroom number 207 on September 24 this year.

Apart from increasing the deployment of police personnel, the number of CCTV cameras installed in the premises were increased and baggage scanners, DFMD and hand-held metal detectors were also provided to assist the security personnel.

How the scientist sneaked in

Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Rajeev Ranjan Singh said that Kataria, dressed as a lawyer and carrying two bags, arrived outside the court in his Ertiga car around 9.30am and entered the premises through gate number 7.

“Kataria left the bags at a booth selling milk products in the court complex and left the premises using the same gate. The footage shows that a few minutes later, he tried to enter using gate number 9 but failed. Thereafter, he went to gate number 8 and entered the court premises again. He was actually trying to weave an evasive pattern,” said DCP Singh.

Police said Kataria retrieved the bags from the booth and went inside the court building, from where his movements could not be captured as there are no cameras installed inside. He is later seen leaving the court complex in a hurry at 10.35am, nearly 10 minutes after the blast, from gate number 8 with only one bag on his shoulders. Kataria was finally seen leaving in his car using the Ring Road.

Logo on bag turns crucial lead

Police said that a damaged laptop bag recovered from the spot turned a crucial lead as it contained the logo of a Mumbai-based company, which made the bag for distribution to the employees of another Delhi-based multinational medical equipment firm in 2006.

“We found that one Anil Kataria, a relative of the DRDO scientist, was the company’s director (sales and marketing). Analysis of all cases listed in the courtroom on December 9 revealed that the scientist’s case was also up for hearing on that day. We dug further and learnt that the scientist’s opponent in the case, lawyer Amit Vashisht, was seated on a chair closest to the blast site and he had received minor leg injury apart from the shock,” said an investigator.

After establishing a possible link, the investigating team scanned the video footage and identified Kataria entering the court complex with two bags but leaving with only one. Some other witnesses also confirmed Kataria’s presence, said DCP Singh.

“After careful scrutiny of all available evidence, Kataria was questioned on Friday and subsequently arrested the same day. We searched his house and found several file covers, identical to those which were in the IED bag, similar screws that were used as shrapnel in the IED, and remnants of the black adhesive tape used in assembling the IED. The black coat and trouser worn by him on that day were also recovered. Some incriminating documents and other electronic devices including laptops and mobile phones have also been seized for further investigation,” added Singh.

Karn Pratap Singh has been writing on crime, policing, and issues of safety in Delhi for almost a decade. He covers high-intensity spot news, including terror strikes, serial blasts and security threats in the national capital. ...view detail

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