Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Probe panel report likely in four days

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI Oct. 3. S. Subramanian, an expert on VIP security and chief of the panel probing the claymore mine blast at Tirupati that injured the Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, will submit his report in four days.

Addressing a media conference here on Friday, he said that the three-pronged investigation would take the administrative lapses, the crime/legal procedure and the scientific perspective into consideration, which would be dealt with by Shiv Narain, IG of Police (Rayalaseema), M.L.Kumavat, Addl. DGP (CID), and K.P.C. Gandhi, Director of Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Hyderabad, respectively. "The final report will be ready soon, may be in three or four days,'' he said.

Admitting that the assault was planned well and executed with precision, Mr.Subramanian said that each instance of attack had a unique `novelty element' and the same was found in this case too. He strongly believed that the mines could have been planted some time ago. "By scientific methods, we can determine the exact time and we are at it,'' he said, in a reply to a question. The panel chief denied that it was a case of security failure, adding that security was a `mindgame' and not related to weapons. He declined to comment or evaded a direct answer on vital areas. "The Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) used in this case are not technically sophisticated and can be prepared even in a kitchen. There are certain things beyond one's control,'' he said.

He said he was here to find facts, not fault and felt he had a very positive role to play in this case.

PW hand suspected

Mr.Subramanian said that pending an inquiry, he suspected the hand of the People's War behind the attack, as the incident had the `signature' of the outlawed naxal outfit.

Elaborating, he said the PW, which had been using landmines till a couple of years ago, had now upgraded to claymore, a more powerful mine normally used to hurt a group of persons. "The claymore has a lot of missiles, each of which is more than a bullet and hence wreaks maximum damage,'' he said.

Like other top police officials and security experts who had visited the blast site during the last two days, Mr. Subramanian too expressed the view that the bullet proof car came as a `blessing' for Mr.Naidu and was instrumental in saving his life.

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