On week on after the blasts, all that police know is that it was, in fact, RDX. For the rest, they are working on it.
Raju Parulekar & Rajesh Sinha
MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI:
- Seven serial blasts in trains
- Over 180 killed
- 425 injured still in hospital
- 465 discharged
- Status of investigation: No arrests. Combing operations in progress. ATS teams sent off across the country.
- Total strength of ATS: 290, including 40 officers
One week on, all that police know is that it was, in fact, RDX. The eight bombs that exploded in seven trains were a combination of RDX, ammonium nitrate, and fuel oil designed to cause maximum damage, according to a report by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad.
For the rest, they are working on it. Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief KP Raghuvanshi told reporters on Monday, “We have hit upon a couple of vital clues during investigation but are not at liberty to divulge any information now as it would compromise our efforts.”
The ATS, Mumbai crime branch, intelligence wings within the police department, and local police stations are working with the police departments of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and New Delhi in the blast investigations, the ATS chief added.
The ATS has focused on local elements in Mumbai who may have participated in planting the bombs or harboured the terrorists. Investigation into the role of the terrorists and mercenaries themselves is the domain of central intelligence agencies.
But central intelligence agencies say they had informed state police a week before the blasts of possible attacks at the following venues: the MLA hostel at Nariman Point, Marine Drive, the Gateway of India, and railway stations. But no action was taken.
This information followed an intercept in the first week of July of a message about a meeting of Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) cadre at Nimmi Hat in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Commanders of the terror outfit exhorted their men to carry out attacks, ambushes, and bomb blasts, using common people as shields.
The LeT bosses, apparently dissatisfied with the level of violence and the falling morale of their men, also offered cash rewards to those carrying out such attacks. A significant decision was to use women cadres to carry out strikes rather than just to gather information or take care of logistics.
The national security adviser had been given the inputs for necessary action and direction, say intelligence sources in New Delhi.
Right now, investigations are yet to zero in on the first accused and all information about the possible roles of the LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Al Qaeda is still seen as speculative in Mumbai.
Raghuvanshi said the email from an unknown organisation, Lashkar-e-Kahar, which had claimed responsibility for the blasts, may be just a red herring. “It may be ploy to misguide investigators,” he said.
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