City Police Commissioner Ranjeet Singh Sharma said on Monday evening that the driver of the taxi, parked at the Gateway of India has been detained for interrogation immediately after the two blasts in the megalopolis.
Addressing a crowded press conference at the city police headquarters, Sharma suspected a jehadi group behind the Gateway and Mumbadevi blasts. The explosives were concealed in the dickeys of the two taxis, he said.
However, Sharma refused to give more details about the taxi driver whom police had picked up for interrogation. "It will hamper our investigation," he pointed out and said that few others have been picked up for questioning.
"There are several jehadi groups, let loose from outside by enemy country, which are operating in Mumbai," he said.
Asked whether a city police team has been sent to Pune in connection with two blasts, Sharma refused to comment.
The Police Commissioner further said police had zeroed in on the jehadi group, which might triggered the blasts, but refused to reveal its identity at this juncture.
He did not rule out the blasts being the handiwork of the earlier group that triggered similar explosions in the metropolis.
To a query on intelligence failure. Sharma said he did not perceive the blasts to be the result of intelligence failure.
He further informed the media that so far 44 persons, including 38 male, 5 female and one 5 year-old child have been killed in the blasts, while 143 others injured in the two blasts. The forensic expert team visited the blast sites to find out the type of material used in the explosives and the expert team would give their report to the government and city police as early as possible.
Asked any terrorist has claimed the responsibility, Sharma replied in the negative.
With reference to the forthcoming
Ganesh festival, Sharma said security has been beefed up further in the
city, particularly in and around Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals to prevent any
untoward incidents on the eve of the Ganesh festival starting from August
31.