Masjid blast: CBI says unexploded bomb recovered destroyed

In a setback to the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case probe, the CBI has discovered that the unexploded bomb recovered by the Hyderabad police from the scene of offence was subsequently destroyed.

"How the perpetrators procured the RDX material used in the bomb is a big question that need to be thoroughly probed. The unexploded bomb recovered from the blast site would have helped us in this regard as we could have gathered some scientific evidence," a senior CBI official involved with the investigation said.

The official pointed out that the CBI was so far probing the case based on "circumstantial evidence" and collection of more scientific evidence would have helped it to prove the case against the accused in the court easily.

A cell phone-triggered pipe bomb placed inside the Mecca Masjid during Friday prayers on May 18, 2007 had claimed nine lives. Five people were killed in police firing in the clashes that erupted after the blast.

The accused in the case were said to have manufactured four bombs that resembled grenades.

The bombs were assembled in Hyderabad itself with material procured from Madhya Pradesh. Of the two pipe bombs, attached to cell phones, placed inside the mosque, only one had exploded. Two other bombs were used in the Ajmer blasts, the CBI official explained.

The CBI had written to the Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory in May seeking details of the bombs. In its report dated June 9, the APFSL informed the CBI that "small quantity of sample was used for chemical analysis and the remaining sample was destroyed by explosive experts in the interest of safety and security of the laboratory."

Each bomb contained 200 to 300 grams of 'Cyclotol', with the explosive consisting mixtures of 90-95% of RDX and TNT, he said.

The CBI wanted to take up chemical finger printing on the unexploded bomb through the help of DRDO as it could have enabled it to ascertain from where the accused procured the explosive substance.

"The advanced chemical finger printing method would have enabled us get details on the explosive substance manufacturers with the batch number and to whom it had been sold. It would have helped us in knowing the point of origin of the explosive," the CBI official pointed out.

He, however, said they would continue the investigation with whatever evidence was available and also based on information it hopes to elicit from two accused, one of them is already being interrogated by CBI in Hyderabad.

The premier investigating agency, which is probing the Mecca Masjid blast, registered a case on June 9, 2007 under various sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against unknown persons and also took up investigations in connection with the recovery of an unexploded bomb inside the
Mecca Masjid premises.

CBI has so far named five persons, all allegedly having links with a right-wing hindu outfit, as accused in the case and brought two Ajmer blast suspects, Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, to Hyderabad on June 17 as part of the investigation.