Author: Correspondent
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: July 13, 2006
Sources in the anti-terrorist squad (ATS)
said that they are maintaining vigil in different areas of the city since
they believe that the serial blasts, which took place in the local trains
on Tuesday, could not have been executed without the connivance of the local
population.
"We believe that such blasts could not
have been executed without the connivance or involvement of locals, as the
locals have better knowledge of the city. Also, they would have supplied logistical
support to the terrorists in carrying out these blasts," said a senior
ATS official on condition of anonymity.
The official added that vigil had been maintained
in different areas of the city, some of which are Nagpada, Jogeshwari, Bandra
and Mahim.
Sources also said that the ATS had already
dispatched its teams to Aurangabad and Malegaon on Tuesday night and would
send another team to Uttar Pradesh on Thursday to probe the serial blasts
links. However, the sources refused to divulge any further details on the
nature of their investigations outside Mumbai, as they said it would hamper
probe. Nearly seven different teams of ATS have been formed to carry out investigations
into the blasts.
"A few persons in Uttar Pradesh, who
were involved in terrorist activities, are under our scanner and we have been
keeping a watch on them for the past few months," said the director-general
of police of Maharashtra, Dr P.S. Pasricha.
Forensic experts had, on Tuesday night, taken
some samples, such as powders and scrapes, from all the trains for a chemical
analysis test, which would clarify the exact components used in the explosives.
The Central Forensic Science Laboratory reports are expected on Friday, said
the sources.
When asked whether the ATS had seized some
pencil detonators and a defused bomb from one of the trains, senior police
inspector of ATS, Sunil Deshmukh, said, "We have recovered an iron rod
from one of the trains, but we are not sure whether they are pencil detonators.
The forensic reports will clarify about it."
He clarified, though, that no defused bomb
had been recovered from any of the trains.
