HYDERABAD: The city police on Monday formed a special team, headed by Joint Commissioner (Administration) Harish Kumar Gupta to investigate into the blast at Mecca Masjid.

A time limit of 60 days was fixed for completion of the investigation.

Officials of counter intelligence, cyber crime investigation unit of the CID, a couple of forensic experts and officers of the rank of Inspectors and SIs would assist Mr. Gupta in tracking down the culprits behind the blast.

The team is probing the case from different angles. Based on the reports of forensic experts that the bomb was made using pentaerythritol tetran (PETN) and triggered using alarm facility in mobile phone, investigators are collecting details of earlier incidents in which such improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were used.

Important lead

The SIM card that was found connected to an unexploded bomb on the mosque premises became another important lead for police. However, they are sceptical of this clue helping them achieve a breakthrough.

Even ordinary offenders are taking care not to use same mobile phone for long periods for the fear being tracked down.

"When they plan to trigger blasts using mobile phones, they must be aware how police track them using SIM cards. They SIM card could be a new one and hence will be of little help in investigation," police said.

Another angle police are focussing on is the possible connection of the masjid blast to the explosions in Malegaon in Maharashtra and Jama Masjid of Delhi last year.

At all the three places, explosions were triggered either inside the mosques or places close to them.

Use of IEDs

It is found that while crude and low-intensity bombs were used in Jama Masjid, IEDs were used both in Delhi and Hyderabad.

Since suspicions centred on involvement of Hyderabadi Shahed alias Bilal, an alleged ISI agent operating from abroad, police are grilling his relatives and family members to ascertain whether he contacted any of them in the recent past.

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