New arrest in India over Israeli car bombing

Police spokesman says reporter was in touch with suspect believed to have attached bomb to an Israeli embassy car.

India
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The bomb attack targeted an Israeli diplomatic vehicle, injuring a diplomat’s wife, her driver and two others [Reuters]

Indian police have arrested an Indian journalist in connection with last month’s bomb attack on an Israeli diplomatic vehicle in New Delhi, a police spokesman said.

Police detained Syed Mohammed Kazmi on Tuesday after investigations showed he had been in touch with a suspect they believe may have stuck a magnetic bomb on an Israeli diplomat’s car.

Police said they had searched Kazmi’s house over the past two days to gather evidence of his link to the February 13 attack. The attack injured the diplomat’s wife, her driver and two other people in a nearby car.

Police did not say what evidence they found.

Kazmi, 50, was being questioned and was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday before being handed over to officials of the investigating agencies for further questioning, said Rajan Bhagat, the police spokesman.

It was not immediately clear which news organisations Kazmi has worked for.

Israel has blamed Iran for the attack, although Iran has denied any involvement. Indian officials have refused to apportion blame while the investigation continues.

Police said the attack began when a man on a motorcycle rode up to the diplomatic vehicle and attached a magnetic bomb before riding off.

The blast came the same day a bomb was discovered on an Israeli diplomat’s car in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and a day before an apparently botched bombing in Bangkok, Thailand, over which several Iranian suspects were arrested.

Source: AP