VARANASI: Uttar Pradesh Director-General of Police Yashpal Singh on Friday said the terrorist outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba, was behind the March 7 explosions here, in which 20 persons were killed and 125 injured.

The explosives used, the modus operandi, the timing of the blasts for pre-festival days and the choice of crowded places strongly pointed to involvement of the Lashkar. There were striking similarities between the Varanasi incident and the October 2005 blasts in Delhi. The same group could well be behind Tuesday's blasts.

Talking to newspersons here after visiting the Sankat Mochan Temple and the Cantonment Railway Station, where the blasts occurred, Mr. Singh announced a reward of Rs. 1 lakh to anyone providing a lead that could result in the arrest of those behind the crime.

On the claim by the Lashkar-e-Qahar that it masterminded the blasts, he said it could well be a strategy to divert the attention of the investigating agencies. The security and intelligence agencies had not yet confirmed the existence of any terrorist outfit by that name.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police was in touch with the police of 10 States in tracking down leads.

To a query, Mr. Singh said terrorism was assuming serious proportions in the State. A special anti-terrorist squad, to be created within the STF soon, would dedicate itself work to smashing the terror network.

On the possibility of involvement of locals in the blasts, he said nothing substantial to that effect came out in the probe. He pointed out that the terror attack at Ayodhya last October was also organised without local support.

Mr. Singh did not rule out reopening the probe into the February 2005 blast at the busy Dashwashmedh Ghat on the banks of Ganga here, in which some persons were killed. The local police brushed it aside as a gas cylinder explosion and the probe was never taken up seriously.

Describing the gunning down of a Lashkar cadre in Lucknow on Wednesday as a "major achievement" of the STF, he said the slain Salar could be linked to the Varanasi blasts.

Arrangements were being made for round-the-clock videography at the Sankat Mochan temple to record movements of visitors.

Varnasi Senior Superintended of Police Navneet Sikera said vendors and shopkeepers were being sensitised to the need for awareness of any unusual activity in the temple vicinity.

Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani, Mufti-e-Banaras, condemning the blasts, said snuffing out of innocent lives was considered a ghastly and unpardonable crime in Islam.

In his speech at the Gyanvapi Mosque, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the cleric said the people of Varanasi should be applauded for their efforts to uphold peace, brotherhood and communal harmony in the aftermath of the blasts.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, visited the Sankat Mochan temple as well as hospitals in the city, where the injured are being treated.

Condemning the blast, he said such incidents were a blot on humanity. He appealed to the people to remain calm and maintain communal harmony.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail