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Monday, Sep 15, 2008
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Vital clues gathered, say Delhi police

Devesh K. Pandey

They suspect Saturday’s blasts were masterminded by the group behind the Ahmedabad blasts

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

When hope died: Saturday’s serial blasts in Delhi shattered many a family. Here, Chander Prakash waits with his mother Lakshmi outside the RML Hospital on Sunday to receive his father’s body .

NEW DELHI: A day after a series of five blasts shook the Capital leaving behind a bloody trail, the Delhi police claimed to have gathered vital clues and said they were confident of solving the case soon.

The police suspect that Saturday’s blasts were masterminded by the same group that was behind the recent Ahmedabad blasts, but were carried out with local assistance. Many teams have been formed to pursue leads.

Sketches of the suspects who planted the improvised explosive devices at busy commercial areas in Karol Bagh, Connaught Place and M-Block of Greater Kailash are being prepared with the help of eyewitnesses.

The death toll in the blasts rose to 24 on Sunday. Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said that of the 151 people injured, many were discharged from hospitals.

The police have traced the driver whose autorickshaw was ripped apart in the Gaffar Market blast while he was away. The police are questioning him to get a clue to the identity of the person who planted the bomb. They have also traced Rajvans Tiwari, owner of a bicycle on which a bomb was kept in the M-Block Market of Greater Kailash. Rajwans, who works in a shop, said he parked his bicycle at the spot every morning.

Rahul, a young balloon vendor who claimed to have seen two bearded men placing a black polythene bag in a garbage bin on Barakhamba Road, is assisting the police in preparing sketches of the suspects. Shortly after the blast on Sunday, Rahul told the police that he had seen the suspects leaving in an autorickshaw.

Earlier in the day, Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal held a meeting with senior police officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh, to take stock of the developments in the investigation and to review security arrangements.

A police team is being despatched to Mumbai to find more about the e-mail sent by the Indian Mujahideen using the wi-fi connection of a company named Kamran Power Control Private Limited at Chembur. While the police are screening the phone calls made from near the blast sites, several persons have come forward to assist them. They were taken to the Police Headquarters to help prepare the sketches

The police on Sunday rewarded a rag-picker and a street vendor with a cash prize of Rs.50,000 each for helping recover two live bombs at India Gate and Regal cinema on Saturday.

High-level meet

Special Correspondent reports:

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Sunday presided over a high-level official meeting to assess the security situation.

The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrashekar, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, Intelligence Bureau Director P.C. Haldar, Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal and senior officials of the Home Ministry.

“The meeting was held to review Saturday evening’s incidents on the basis of whatever information is available to us till now,” Mr. Gupta told journalists after the meeting. The government would consider steps that should be taken in a time-bound manner and try to develop some dos and don’ts as a precautionary measure. The Home Ministry would advise all the States and Union Territories about them. Advisories have been sent asking all States and UTs to remain vigilant.

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