Mumbai blasts: Cops grope in dark; Activa only lead

Nothing can be ruled out, P Chidambaram said in Mumbai on Thursday morning. “We will investigate the role of every terror group… find out which ones were involved,” he said. The Union home minister was addressing the press before leaving the city for New Delhi.

Chidambaram who had shot off his mouth after the 26/11 attack regarding investigation breakthroughs seemed to have learnt his lesson. Though he kept harping on bringing the culprits to book, he steered clear of giving a direct answer on the investigation process. Repeated questions about possible terror group/s behind Wednesday’s triple blasts, however, forced the minister to admit that the ministry had no specific intelligence inputs.

This effectively means the police and other investigative agencies are groping in the dark for leads 24 hours after bombs ripped through the city killing 17 people and injuring 120. On Thursday, the Maharashtra government directed the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the crime branch of the Mumbai Police to investigate the blasts.

Rakesh Maria, Addl DGP, would head the joint investigation. “We have formed more than 12 joint teams,” Maria said. “We are examining every detail and every angle. Central agencies too are helping us.”

Though no clear leads have emerged till now, the investigators did find a couple of clues on Thursday. Parts of tiffin boxes were recovered from Opera House and Zaveri Bazaar. An investigator said it was possible that tiffin bombs had been used. “We have sent the pieces to the forensic department,” he said. If tiffin bombs were used, it could be the handiwork of the Indian Mujahideen, the officer said. At a press conference on Tuesday to announce the arrests of IM operatives, Maria had said the group uses tiffin bombs.

The state intelligence department, however, said it could be home-grown terror modules. The police have started questioning several people across the state who were earlier associated with banned terror group, Simi (Students Islamic Movement of India). The police have also seized a damaged Activa from one of the sites, which might throw up crucial evidence, another officer said. “Investigations have showed that the bomb was planted on the scooter.”

The police are also looking at CCTV footages from all the sites.

Posted in: India News