Mumbai newspapers report that there was an attack alert n German Bakery in November last year, but all extra precautions were abandaoned after January 26 Republic Day.
Sources said there was a specific intelligence input about a likely terror attack at the German Bakery and the Chabad House in November last year, and police personnel were deployed around the two places from November right up to January 26. However, eventually, the security was withdrawn.
Notably, Chabad House and the Southern Command of the Indian Army were the two places that Headley had done a recce of during his trip in 2008.
Investigators are working on two theories. One, that the blast could be the handiwork of some terror group who wished to attack a place frequented by foreigners and create panic among them so that they are discouraged from visiting.
There was a similar plan for some tourist spots in Goa, but terror elements could not execute it, sources said.
The second theory - which appears weak but is being pursued nonetheless - is whether the blast was a result of enmity between groups of foreigners. Some of the injured are from Gulf countries, lending credence to this theory.
“It appears that the pieces of steel rods of the furniture at the bakery acted as sharpnel. Still, we are waiting for post-mortem reports to find out what sharpnel were found in the bodies of the victims,” ATS sources said.
Shivangi Tyagi, Wipro employee
I and five friends had come to German Bakery. One of my friends and I were ordering food at the counter, while the others were sitting at a table. I suddenly heard an explosion and everything turned hazy and smoky.
Someone pushed me from behind and I was thrown out on the road. I got minor burns on my face, lips and hands and was taken to the hospital. While four of my friends are safe and in the hospital, I am not able to trace my friend Uplaksh.
Vidyashree Nayak HSC student
I had a dance performance at a mall around 8:30 pm and so I had come for snacks with my mother after practice. I was ordering sandwiches and cake at the counter, while my mother was sitting at the table. Suddenly, there was a loud sound and everything blacked out.
It took sometime for me to regain my senses. I saw bleeding people all around me. I spotted my mother lying a short distance away from me, groaning in pain. One of the volunteers helped me and put me in the ambulance. I asked him to help my mother too. I have suffered minor burns.
Jack Huang from Taiwan
Huang, who has been staying at the nearby Osho Ashram since January 27, spoke to Mirror as he lay injured in Sassoon Hospital. He said, “I had come to the Bakery while taking a walk. I started chatting with two Indians.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and everything blacked out. I was unhurt, but my Indian friends had suffered burns so I rushed to help them. While helping them out, I sustained some injuries myself.
Sylvester Curado an artist from Goa
Curado, who has been living in Pune for the last ten years, said, “I had come to the German Bakery for my usual evening snack. There was an explosion, the impact of which threw me to the floor.
I think most of the people sitting inside the Bakery have suffered minor injuries, whereas people who were standing outside sustained more serious injuries. This is not a cylinder blast, it has to be a bomb blast.
