A senior scientist working at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been taken into custody for allegedly planting an improvised explosive device (IED) in a tiffin box with an intention to kill his neighbour in the Rohini district court earlier this month, Delhi Police said on Saturday.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said the accused, identified as Bharat Bhushan Kataria, entered the premises of the court at 9.33 am on December 9 with two bags and left one of those behind inside courtroom number 102 triggering it with a remote. The low-intensity explosion left Naib Court head constable Rajeev injured.

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Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Security Guard (NSG) visited the site of the explosion and found that the materials used in making the IED were easily available in the market. The IED was not properly assembled due to which only the detonator exploded.

A case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and section 3, Explosive Substances Act, was registered.

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Based on CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts, several people present in the court complex were identified and Kataria’s name came up. 

The intended victim, advocate Amit Vashistha, who was seated in the row next to which the IED exploded, testified seeing Kataria in court just before the blast.

Investigation revealed Kataria had a grudge against Vashistha, which prompted him to plan this blast. Vashistha was also the accused’s former neighbour. 

Kataria was questioned on Friday and subsequently taken into custody.