M A I N   N E W S

3 detained for blasts in Malegaon
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Malegaon, September 10
The Anti-Terror Squad of the Mumbai police probing last Friday’s bomb blasts in Malegaon has detained three persons, officials said today.

At least one of them is under investigation for purchasing the brand-new bicycles on which the crude bombs were installed for detonation.

The police said the breakthrough was made when investigators traced the two bicycles to dealers in and around Malegaon. One of the bicycles was new and had its wrapping and serial numbers intact, enabling investigators to trace the dealer who is said to have identified the purchaser.

The police here said it was confident of unravelling the conspiracy soon.

The ATS is now in the process of tracing the modus operandi employed by the bombers.

The ATS has also found similarities between the bombs used in Malegaon and the explosives used in Mumbai’s local trains on July 11. However, it is still not clear if RDX was used in Malegaon.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Government has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to the attackers.

The police has obtained sketches from eyewitnesses of the blasts. However, it is not clear if they are of any use to the police.

Local community leaders told the police that the bombers could have come in the guise of beggars. Several hundred beggars had descended on Malegaon on Friday for a religious festival.

Pak girl among dead

A 12-year-old Pakistani girl, Sajida Bahanu Rizwan from Islamabad, was among those who died in the Malegaon blasts, the police said.

The girl’s body was handed over to her mother who came to Malegaon to visit relatives.

The girl’s mother and local relatives survived the blasts. Sajida has been buried at Bada Kabristan where the blasts took place.