Margao Goa bomb blast probe in preliminary stage: NIA

Probe into the Diwali-eve bomb blast in Goa’s Margao city, in which a right-wing Hindu group is under the scanner, was still in a “preliminary stage”, the Central agency handling the inquiry has said.

“Investigation in this case is at the preliminary stage since NIA has recently taken over the probe from Goa Police’s SIT,” National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said in an application moved in a court here.

The agency has said they will require the custodial interrogation of the accused to unearth larger conspiracy behind the blast that killed two persons.

NIA took over the probe almost two months after the October 16 explosion in the commercial city. The deceased were allegedly ferrying explosives in a scooter when they went off.

The probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had led to the arrest of four persons linked to the group, Sanatan Sanstha.