New Delhi/Gaya/Patna, July 9
The probe into the multiple blasts in Bodh Gaya was tonight handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Centre following a request from Bihar government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified that the investigations in the July 7 serial blasts case stand transferred to NIA from Bihar Police, Home Ministry officials said.

A team of NIA had reached Bodh Gaya Sunday evening, hours after the temple town was hit by the terror attack, and had been assisting the Bihar Police in the investigation.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had asked the Centre to hand over the investigation into the blasts to NIA.

Investigators today detained four more people, including a woman. The CCTV footage of the terror attack has, however, not thrown up any leads.

Two days after the 10 coordinated explosions, the four people were picked up by the National Investigation Agency(NIA) in Patna.

The police claimed they had checked out of a hotel near the Mahabodhi temple complex at about 6.30 am, just about two hours after they checked in. The blasts took place between 5.30 and 5.58 am. No arrests have been made in the case yet.

A police officer said the four people were picked up in the Bihar capital and being questioned at an unknown location there. The identity of the four persons has not been revealed yet.

The police said Binod Kumar Mistri, who has been detained by the NIA on the basis of his voter I-card found inside the temple during search after the Sunday explosions, continued to remain under custody. The police, however, were not able to ascertain his role, if any, in the attack. Union Home Ministry officials said the probe into the multiple blasts will be handed over to the NIA. A formal order entrusting the NIA with the investigation will be issued very soon, the officials said in New Delhi. Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee(BTMC) member Arvind Singh said the CRPF and the Bihar Military Police (BMP) have taken over charge of security at the historic temple. Visitors are allowed inside the temple only after proper frisking, he said.

With no leads coming from the footage from 15 CCTV cameras, the police suspect that the attackers may have evaded the cameras. The footage is also stated to be of poor quality making it difficult to capture the images of people.

 — PTI