Malegaon blasts: The hunt begins

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• Malegaon blasts: 2 unani docs held
• Nashik, Malegaon get terror scare
• Malegaon victim not from Pak: cops
• Cops link Malegaon blasts to 7/11
• Malegaon blasts: struggling to cope

Keywords: Malegaon, Nashik

New Delhi: The police have been unwilling to share the headway they are making in investigations related to the Malegaon blasts but there are several small details that they have begun to pursue.

Craters in the wall, bicycles blown apart and the impact of the blast at sites like the one at the entrance of the Bada Kabristan in Malegaon — this is where the forensic team have picked up the pieces of evidence to kick-start their investigation.

Phone records are also being checked especially mobile communications made to and from Malegaon in the last one month.

“Forensic scientists have already visited the spot and a special team has been formed. Samples have been collected from the blast site and we are trying to pursue certain leads. Everything will be clear once the lab report comes,” Special IG, Nashik, P K Jain said.

The recovery of the black powdery substance has ruled out the use of RDX.

Building on eyewitness accounts, nearly 15 locals including children, intelligence agencies are now saying that low intensity explosive devices were used in the blasts on Friday that killed 31 people.

Preliminary investigators suspect that a mechanical or a digital timer detonated the explosives.

But significantly, an inscription on the bicycle, where one of the bombs were possibly planted, has given the investigators something to think about — the word bhagwan written on it could give the police a possible lead or might even mislead them.

So, while investigators will pick up details from blast sites like this one, there is a realisation at ground zero that it is the nation’s very secular fabric that has been targeted.

This sinister design has forced the police to look beyond Islamic fundamentalist groups who are the usual targets after such an incident and even investigate Right-wing Hindu fanatics.

And obviously for the police it will be a fine balancing act till they find out who's responsible.

INTELLIGENCE BUREAU INPUTS TO CNN-IBN

Police and intelligence agencies analysing call records made and received immediately before and after the blast in Malegon.

Forensic experts are analysing the nature, kind of material used in the blast. Black powder recovered from the site is also being analysed.

Efforts are on to trace where the bicycles, on which the bombs were placed, were purchased from. Cycle was used because most of the people flocking to the mosques and Kabristan during Friday prayers ride cycles in this area.

Over a dozen eyewitness accounts are being analysed by the Intelligence Bureau and the ATS. Sketchy details are available with them about the identity of those who could possibly have planted the bombs.

Initial investigations suggest there were at least four bombers. All the details are being verified and statements of eyewitness are being corroborated. An emergency meeting of the intelligence agencies took place late on Friday night to take stock of the situation.

(With inputs from Ruksh Chatterjee and Toral Varia in Malegaon)