'Promising Leads' In Delhi Blast Probe: Chidambaram
New Delhi, Sep 9: Two days after the high intensity blast at the Delhi High Court, investigators were groping for a breakthrough even as Home Minister P Chidambaram today said there were “promising” but not
New Delhi, Sep 9: Two days after the high intensity blast at the Delhi High Court, investigators were groping for a breakthrough even as Home Minister P Chidambaram today said there were “promising” but not “very conclusive leads” in the probe and agencies of foreign countries had also been roped in.
On a day a third email purportedly sent by Indian Mujahideen was received by Delhi Police, Chidambaram did not rule out cross-border connection, saying, “at this moment, every organisation is suspect” and he was “keeping fingers crossed till we have evidence”.
The IM claiming responsibility for Wednesday's blast that left 13 dead and over 80 injured, also warned the Government of another attack “that will be so cruel that you people will not be able to forget it” for decades.
“...and if you are willing to know the next attack, it is 1,8,5,13,4,1,2,1,4 till you come to know what it stands for the next blast will be done. If you have any questions because we don't have time for anything,” the sources said, quoting the e-mail.
The sources said the code numbers used by them can be interpreted as Ahmedabad.
Addressing a press conference here, Chidambaram said the e-mail was “amateurish in nature” and code mentioned by them could be decoded in minutes.
A person, suspected of sending e-mail immediately after the blast, has been taken in for questioning in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir. “We have to wait for that report to come,” Chidambaram said.
Amid concerns over security in the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stepped in and directed urgent steps to beef up protective measures in the complex.
He asked Chidambaram and Law Minister Salman Khurshid to call on Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia and take “urgent steps” to further strengthen the security arrangements.
Soon after the blast, the CJI had reviewed security arrangements in the Supreme Court, High Court and other subordinate courts in the capital.
Chidambaram said a “strong” team of investigators, comprising specialised National Investigative Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police, are pursuing the blast case vigorously.
Delhi Police has constituted three teams comprising 200 policemen to investigate the blast case. The teams under Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ashok Chand will also interact with the specially-constituted 20-member NIA group. “As far as investigations are concerned, there are promising leads but I can't yet call them very conclusive leads,” the Home Minister said.
He said all information and leads are being taken seriously and being pursued by the investigators round-the-clock.
“I wish to emphasise round-the-clock as we are seeking help from other agencies from around the world too. Therefore, these leads are pursued round-the-clock by very strong team that have been constituted by NIA and Delhi Police. All other agencies are helping,” he said.
In Jammu, police detained a teenage boy who is suspected to have sent the HuJI email from a cyber cafe in Kishtwar claiming responsibility for Wednesday's blast, police said.
The BA first year student was picked up after a three-hour search at a college in Kishtwar and whisked away to Global Cyber Cafe for interrogation by a joint team of police, NIA and cyber experts led by Deputy Inspector General (Kishtwar-Doda-Ramban range) Muneesh Sinha. Police had prepared a sketch of the suspected email sender on the basis of information provided by five detained persons, including cyber cafe owner Masood Aziz.
Apart from two sketches of suspects released by the Delhi police, a third sketch will also be released soon. A team of NIA and experts from Hyderabad are in Kishtwar to probe the email link with the Delhi blast. In the first mail sent to some media houses purportedly by HuJI, the Bangladesh terror outfit had claimed responsibility for the blast. But a day later, another mail was received by television channels in which IM said it was behind the terror strike.
“We own responsibility of the blast at the High Court, Delhi. Our demand is that Afzal Guru's death sentence should be repealed immediately as we would target major High Courts and the Supreme Court of India,” the HuJI email had said.
The Home Minister said 13 people had died in the blast, 88 were injured - 40 had been discharged and 48 were under treatment in various hospitals of the Capital.
He appealed to everyone to be alert. “We must learn from other countries, how other governments react. Everyone has to be alert, they have to report what they see - suspicious objects, suspicious movement,” he stressed.
Following Prime Minister's directive, a three-layered security ring was put in place in the Supreme Court with lawyers and litigants being subjected to frisking first at the main gates, followed by the inner gates and thereafter, outside the courtrooms.
Armed Delhi Police commandos were deployed at vantage points in the apex court complex.
Meanwhile, Delhi Government today started distributing compensation to blast victims. PTI