The Unheard Explosion: 40 years of silence

As the bomb exploded, dozens were killed, but the most noticed death was of a Minister. Lalit Narayan Mishra's assassination left Indian Judiciary stained as justice still needs to be done even after 45 years!

The most famed face of Bihar politics: Lalit Narayan Mishra. The tragedy of his death became his inheritance; Image Source: Thelallantop

A shocking tragedy unfolded for the nation on January 1975, at the opening of a new Railway line at Samastipur, Bihar, when a bomb blast left 25 people injured, succumbing many to death later. Lalit Narayan Mishra, also known as Lalit Babu, was seriously injured in the blast, leading to his death the next day, bringing to end his ascending political career. The immediate promotion of his brother in politics is evident in the stature of Mishra himself.

Mishra was given the Railway Ministry in 1973, given his importance in the scheme of things for Bihar by Congress. On that fatal day, Mishra was present to announce the opening of Samastipur-Darbhanga railway gauge. Indira Gandhi blamed “foreign elements” for the attack, namely the CIA. This event was seen as one of the deadliest tragedies in the country’s history. The incident raised questions about the arrangements of security at the place for the Railway Minister.

The accused of the blast were charged and detained. More than 200 witnesses were interrogated which included 161 prosecution and 40 defence witnesses. The court held the accused guilty for offences under the Explosives Act alongside, Murder and Criminal conspiracy. Advocate Ranjan Dwivedi, 24 years old at that time was also accused of the attack.

The case was first registered in a CBI court in Patna in 1977. Two years later, on a plea by the then-Attorney General, it was shifted to Delhi. It became one of the longest-running cases in Indian history, lasting for some 40 years under 22 judges. Finally, on 8 December 2014, four of the accused were found guilty of murdering Mishra and were given life imprisonment. However, they were later acquitted by a High Court Bench.

After this deadly tragedy, security at all the public places and security for the government officials improved drastically. Mishra’s death also marked the beginning of the downfall of Congress in Bihar. At the same time, it also opened gates for his family members who took various political positions in the years after his death. The unsolved assassination case and the death itself has left many questions unanswered.