by Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : In a major development to the Guwahati grenade blast case, a team of city police and crime branch detained an actress from the Namghar path in Panjabari of Guwahati, Assam. She is suspected to have close contacts with the militant group United Liberation Front of Asom- Independent (ULFA-I). Jahnabi Saikia, who is an actress in the daily soaps of Assamese TV channel, got detained by the team after a search operation conducted on the basis of reliable source. Jahnabi has been residing in the rented house for the last ten days and hails from Sivasagar district.

The team has seized 9MM pistol, 35 rounds of live bullets, some suspicious documents, 70 kg of explosive materials used to make IEDs along with ULFA-I flag and grenade making machine from her possession. According to official sources, Pro-talk ULFA leader, Pranamoy Rajguru often visited her house. It is to be mentioned that a massive grenade blast shook the city that took place at around 7:45 pm near a shopping mall situated at Zoo Road in Guwahati. In the blast, twelve people have been injured in the incident. The city police have issued a high alert in the entire region hours after the blast.A suspected grenade blast was reported in the city at Zoo Road near Guwahati Central on Wednesday. Following the blast, high alert has been declared in Guwahati and all entry and exit routes have been put under surveillance. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital, KGMT hospital and Nemcare Super Specialty Hospital. Heavy police checking can be seen in Jalukbari, Khanapara, Guwahati Railway Station.

An FIR has also been filed in Geetanagar Police station. According to reports the grenade used in the blast was identified as Chinese Granade. Meanwhile, a team of Assam Police on Thursday morning conducted search operation in Panjabari area and recovered a 9MM pistol from a house. According to reports, the search operation took place in the house in the Namghar Path of Panjabari, where a woman was residing as tenant. The woman was identified as Jahnabi Saikia Das. Sources also said that Pro-talk ULFA member Pranamoy Rajguru often visit her house. Along with the 9MM pistol, Police also recovered 35 rounds of live bullets and some documents from her house.Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regarding the blasts in Guwahati on Wednesday evening that left as many as 12 people injured.And Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal  apprised him of the situation.

The police and other agencies are investigating the incident. The HM prays for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the office of the Home Minister of India tweeted. Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the incident and said, “Whoever might trigger the blast, it’s an act of cowardice”. He directed state DGP Kuladhar Saikia to immediately arrest the people involved in the incident. DGP Kuladhar Saikia, on the other hand, said: “For a few a days the police have taken some special measures to bring about awareness among the people. Preliminary investigation into the blast has been started. In the past few days operations against militants have been intensified, making many of them surrender. Militants have felt the blow. Now we are to ascertain if this grenade attack on security personnel and the recent blow on militants have any connection. Our investigation is on.” Minister of State for Health Piyush Hazarika rushed to the GMCH to take stock of those injured in the blast.