By IANS,
New Delhi : Investigating Saturday’s serial blasts, Delhi Police Monday said they were working on vital clues and were likely to soon release sketches of some of the suspects prepared on the basis of eyewitness accounts.
Police officials said they were raiding both old and suspected new hideouts of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists in various parts of the National Capital Region.
According to police sources, at least five people were detained from Sanjay Colony in Faridabad.
People with direct or indirect links with the banned SIMI are also on the police radar, they said.
“We expect to release sketches of the blast accused in the evening. Our experts are questioning eyewitness once gain and their statements are being recorded,” said a top police official involved in the investigation.
Police spoke to Moolchand, a 40-year-old auto rickshaw driver, again and sought more information about two youngsters who had hired his auto from near Hotel Imperial in Paharganj, central Delhi. The two asked him to take them to the Gaffar Market, where they got down on the pretext of buying something and left their bag in the auto.
The Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh of central Delhi was the site of the first of the five blasts Saturday evening.
“We have questioned Moolchand once again today (Monday). He is our best bet in preparing sketches. We are planning to provide security cover to him and other eyewitnesses in the case,” the officer added.
At least 23 people were killed and 97 injured when a series of bombs – one in the Gaffar Market, two in Connaught Place and two in the M block market of Greater Kailash-I – went off Saturday evening in a span of 20 minutes.
Soon after the first blast, an email sent in the name of the Indian Mujahideen, believed to be associated with the SIMI, had taken responsibility for the terror attack.
The investigators believe that the man suspected to be behind the email, Subhan alias Tauqir, now said to be the mastermind of the Delhi blasts, might have slipped out of the country or could be hiding in Mumbai or Uttar Pradesh.
“His chances of hiding in south India are also very high. The SIMI has managed to create a strong network in southern states including Kerala. But we are hopeful of catching him,” said another officer.
Various teams of Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau were also camping in parts of Uttar Pradesh, considered a hotbed of SIMI activities, especially in various villages in Azamgarh district.
Abu Bashir, held for allegedly masterminding the July 26 Ahmedabad serial blasts, hails from Azamgarh and investigators believe he must have mobilised youngsters from the village for terrorist activities.
“We are probing the role of SIMI in the blasts. Its hideouts in the National Capital Region and various other parts of the country are being raided. We are also focusing on people who are associated with this terror outfit.
“As per the Gujarat police, which have interrogated Abu Bashir, the Indian Mujahideen is nothing but a front assault core of the SIMI. So our focus is mainly on the SIMI,” the officer added.
The Indian Mujahideen had also taken responsibility of similar synchronised terror attacks in Jaipur May 13, Bangalore July 25 and Ahmedabad.
The police officials said they were working in close coordination with their counterparts from Rajasthan and Gujarat. Officials of the Uttar Pradesh police Special Task Force (STF) were camping in New Delhi to share their intelligence gathering on SIMI.
“The Gujarat and Rajasthan police forces have provided us vital information that was unearthed during the interrogation of Abu Bashir and Shahbaz Hussain, architect of the Jaipur serial blasts. We are also working with the Uttar Pradesh police,” said an officer of Delhi Police Special Cell.