SUSPECTS ABOUND IN TWIN DELHI CINEMA BOMB BLASTS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 003846 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2015 TAGS: PTER ASEC OVIP PREL IN PK SUBJECT: SUSPECTS ABOUND IN TWIN DELHI CINEMA BOMB BLASTS Classified By: Charge Robert O. Blake, Jr., for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: No person or group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions in two New Delhi movie theaters on May 22 that killed one person and injured at least 50. Both cinemas, located in neighborhoods with large Sikh populations, were screening the controversial detective film "Jo Bole So Nihaal" ("Praise the Name of the Lord") which Sikh leaders have criticized as denigrating their religion. Although Delhi is now under "high alert" and many movie houses have pulled the film as a precaution, the city has been otherwise unaffected and the New Delhi police advise us there is no connection between the bombings and US interests. Our law enforcement contacts are not sharing their insights on who they believe is behind the attacks, explaining that investigation is only in its initial stages. LEGATT has offered FBI technical assistance with the investigation, which press indicates may have employed RDX explosives. Speculation among our CT contacts and in the press on who committed these attacks runs the gamut from Sikh extremists to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) to Pakistani intelligence. Meanwhile, police are investigating other leads that may point to a terrorism link, including the arrest of a self-described LeT cadre reportedly in possession of RDX and the planting of a third, very small, bomb. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) According to law enforcement spokespeople, the first bomb exploded under a seat at Liberty Cinema at 8:15 PM on May 22, shortly after the audience re-entered the theater after an intermission. The explosion damaged the theater's false ceiling and set off a panic among the patrons. About 20 minutes later, a second bomb detonated in the ladies' lavatory in Satyam Cinema in Patel Nagar, which also damaged an adjoining restaurant. As of the afternoon of May 24, Indian press reported the toll as one person killed and at least 50 injured, mostly from the Liberty Cinema bombing. Both theaters are located in neighborhoods with large Sikh populations, and both were showing the film "Jo Bole So Nihaal," which Sikh leaders have loudly criticized as demeaning their religion. Many (but reportedly not all) theaters across India have stopped showing this film, which tells the story of a crime investigation that goes from Punjab to New York City. No person or group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said "appeared to be the handiwork of terrorists." Delhi on Alert, Targets Appear to be Specific -------------- ¶3. (C) The Cabinet reportedly convened an emergency meeting shortly after the blasts to review security arrangements in the capital. Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash Jaiswal announced that Delhi was under a "high alert," and that security was tightened at the city's exits. ¶4. (S) RSO reports that the bombings, which appear to have been specifically aimed at their targets, have not directly affected Mission security. RSO is maintaining close contact with the Delhi police the Intelligence Bureau (IB),and is coordinating with US Secret Service regarding F/POTUS Clinton's New Delhi visit, which begins May 25. New Delhi police advise that, according to the information they currently have, there is no nexus between the bombings and the Embassy or US interests. Investigation Just Beginning; FBI Offers Technical Help -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Delhi Police Commissioner KK Paul told reporters that the bombs were "crude" and did not contain fragmentation materials that could have caused greater injuries; he did not offer further details, and official forensics reports have not been released. Paul told RSO late on May 23 that the investigation is continuing and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police Force had not yet attributed the attacks to any person or group. Deputy Police Commissioner Anita Roy, who is responsible for the diplomatic zone, confirmed to RSO on May 24 that the investigation has not yet identified the bombers or made any links to terrorist groups. A LEGATT inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also yielded no more detailed information; LEGATT awaits CBI's response to an offer of FBI technical assistance. Suspects Abound - Pakistan Link? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Indian media speculation initially pointed to Sikh radicals carrying out these attacks. Sikh leaders have been critical of the film "Jo Bole So Nihaal" for its inappropriate use of Sikh religious language and symbols. The highest Sikh religious body, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC),successfully lobbied for the film to be recalled from theaters in Punjab prior to the bombings. After the explosions, the SGPC publicly condemned the attacks as "inhuman." ¶7. (C) A second line of press analysis holds Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) responsible for the blasts. The May 23 arrest in Delhi of a young man allegedly possessing more than five kilograms of RDX -- who reportedly claimed to be a Pakistan-trained LeT terrorist -- lent fuel to this theory, although police have not publicly linked him to the bombings and have not announced whether RDX was used. Noted Indian terrorism expert Dr. Ajai Sahni pointed out to POLOFF that, although it is too soon to ascribe certainty to any theory, it is plausible that LeT leadership might have considered an attack in the middle of a Sikh controversy as "a target of opportunity to inflame sectarian or communal tensions in India." He echoed speculation in the "Times of India" that this could have been a reactivating of a "Khalistan (Sikh separatist)-Islamist-Kashmiri link" that has existed, if largely dormant, since the 1980s. That said, one police contact commented to RSO that the Sikh connection was more likely than a connection to LeT. ¶8. (C) Not all theories point to the bombings being a politically motivated act. Punjab-based "Daily Ajit" Bureau Chief Herkewaljit Singh told us that he thought the attacks were not carried out by an organized group, but by aggrieved Sikh individuals who planted the bombs in response to their anger over the movie's religious mischaracterizations. The film's title comes from a line in Sikh scripture which, the SGPC and other Sikh critics maintain, should only be uttered in prayer or in battle. ¶9. (C) Whether the bombs were placed by Sikh radicals, jihadis, or individuals/groups not yet named, some Indian sources accuse Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of playing a role. Punjab-based editor and managing trustee of the Press Trust of India wire service Avinash Chopra, who lost his father and brother to Sikh terrorists in the 1980s, told us that he is "convinced" that the bombings represent a resurgent ISI-Khalistan nexus. An unidentified senior Delhi police officer "who is heading the investigation" told reporters that "this is the handiwork of ISI working with some terrorists," and claimed that the attackers were targeting "any crowded places" and not the film itself. Police Also Investigating Small Blast -------------- ¶10. (SBU) At about 6 AM on May 23, one man in the Nand Nagri area of Delhi was injured after he picked up a wallet rigged with an explosive. Paul told reporters that forensics experts were investigating whether this was related to the movie hall attacks. Comment -------------- ¶11. (C) Indian law enforcement officials are holding their cards close to their chests during this unfolding investigation, and the Home Ministry's refusal to engage with the Embassy locks us out of knowing where the GOI investigation is going. Meanwhile, the rumor mill has been working full steam. Presumably, a cessation in attacks now would strengthen the theory that the bombings are linked to Sikh extremism, either organized or ad hoc, while a continuation would bolster the theory of a jihadi connection. A determination of ISI involvement would constitute a significant escalation of Pakistani support for terrorism in India and would place the Indo-Pak peace process under considerable stress, but there is no clear evidence to support such a determination. Embassy will follow up to seek more information. BLAKE