The disclosure has been made by two Bajrang Dal activists who were close to Mishra and Singh. Both Mishra and Singh were killed in the blast in a Kanpur hostel room where they were assembling bombs.

Sources in the Kanpur police and the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) revealed that the activists, who have been questioned but not arrested, said that Mishra and Singh had talked about planning to place bombs in sensitive areas of Kanpur in retaliation to the serial blasts in UP and other states.

The police have found a diary and a register from Mishra’s room which contained contact numbers of the office-bearers of various Hindu organisations in Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, sources said.

Kanpur SSP Ashok Kumar Singh said, “Though test reports from FSL, Agra, will take some time, we know that the explosives stored in the room were enough to cause damage. Mishra and Singh had held significant posts in Bajrang Dal in the past, and the investigation so far clearly indicates their objective.” DIG of ATS Rajiv Krishna said, “Their intention was to plant bombs. The probe will further decipher the motive.”

Circle Officer of Kalyanpur, Subhash Chandra Shakya, who is heading the Kanpur police team probing the case, said, “We have interrogated about 80 persons so far. These persons were in regular contact with Mishra and Singh. Their interrogation is helping us in collecting clues.”