The Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday night detained nine people from a lodge near the  Roadways bus stand in Azamgarh in connection with Friday's serial blasts at Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow.

One of those detained resembled one of the sketches released by the Varanasi police following the blasts in the civil court premises, police said.

All nine have been taken to the Kotwali Police Station and were being quizzed by senior officials.