Click to play videoMalegaon: The police on Sunday released sketches of two suspects in the Malegaon bomb blasts case. As many as 31 people were killed and many injured in three blasts that shook the city on Friday.
Police zeroed in on two shops from where the attackers allegedly bought bicycles that were used to plant the bombs at the Bada Kabrastan (cemetery) and Mushaira Chowk.
Information provided by the shop-owners and other witnesses was used to prepare sketches of the men who bought the bicycles, Inspector General of Police (Nashik range) P K Jain, who released the sketches, said.
Jain said police were also working on "two to three concrete clues" they had uncovered, without giving details.
CNN-IBN correspondent Shilpa Dhamija spoke with P K Jain. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Shilpa Dhamija: How did this investigation lead you towards the shops?
PK Jain: Since these cycles were found to be new, we enquired if anybody had purchased new cycles in the area. There were some cycle numbers that we had and their frames were intact. In the process of our inquiry, we found that two cycles had been purchased.
Shilpa Dhamija: Can we connect this incident with any other blast that has happened in the past? Have you been able to know the modus operandi?
PK Jain: Normally, in such cases we find out the content of the explosives. The proportion of the explosives used gives us some indication about the technique used. Until we get that, we will not be able to find out as to which particular blast can we associate with. Each explosive device has a different composition. So, it will all probably depend on the composition of the material used.
|
Shilpa Dhamija: You have released the sketches of the suspects. Could you tell us as to how many persons were involved and what were their details?
PK Jain: There were only two persons, one each at each of the shops. We are holding back other details for the time being. We will show the sketches to the witnesses in case we can get some leads. If that does not happen, then we will come out will other details.
Though no location has been confirmed, a team of 20 police officers has already left Malegaon to investigate the leads that they have gathered so far. The National Security Guard is also helping in the investigations.
The police said they do think that high-intensity explosives were used in the blasts. The police have, however, refused to confirm that RDX was used in the explosions.
Investigations indicate that the bombs were time devices and were manufactured indigenously. Apart from the three, which exploded, the police also defused two live bombs, which were found in the same area.
|
Meanwhile, the situation in the communally-sensitive powerloom town has improved remarkably. Police have detained 10 people so far.
Malegaon, a city situated on the Mumbai-Agra highway, has a population of about seven lakh people, out of which nearly 75 per cent are from the minority community. About 5 kg of RDX was seized from the town in May this year along with several AK-47 rifles and other ammunition.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.