PANIPAT
The Suspects
Haryana Police has released sketches of two suspects in the blasts in the Samjhauta Express.The police claim that four to five persons were behind the attack that took the lives of 68 people.A reward of Rs one lakh for those providing vital clues about the suspects hasalso been announced.
Initial investigation into the attack has revealed that two persons had alighted from theslow-moving train minutes before the blasts following a heated argument with RPF personnel who were on duty.The probe is now centred around the two and a couple of others, who, Haryana Police believe, had planted the explosives in the train after boarding it at the Old Delhi Railway station on Sunday night.
Haryana Police claimed to have found "vital clues" and "covered a lot of ground" in its probe, which has been handed over to a special investigation team, which is coordinating with intelligence agencies and the police forces of Mumbai, Delhi and Punjab.
"We suspect the blasts to be the handiwork of four to five people. We have not yet identified any terrorist group behind the attacks. But we think it is the handiworkof some militants," Inspector General (Rohtak Range) Sharad Kumar told reportersin Panipat today.
Advertisement
The sketches were prepared on the basis of description provided by eyewitnesses who told the police that the duo had a heated argument with the RPF soon after the train left the Old Delhi station.They alighted from the train when it slowed down around 20 kilometres before Deewana railway station. The twin blasts ripped through the trainwithin 15 minutes after that, pointing the needle of suspicion on them.
However, it has also come to light that the RPF jawans who were on duty on the train had allowed the duo tojump off the train as it slowed down, indicating a security lapse on the part of thepersonnel, after the suspects told them that they had boarded the wrong train,and that they had actually wished to go to Ahmedabad,
"The two persons were allowed to alight as their movement were not perceived to be suspicious," Superintendent of Police (Railways) Bharti Arora hadearlier said on the alleged lapse.Police described one of the two as a plump man in his mid-thirties with a wheatish complexion who was sporting a moustache. He was wearing a shirt and a jacket, Kumar said.The other person was around 26-27 with wheatish complexion. He had covered his face with a muffler. Both of them spoke Hindi, he added.
The Clues
Advertisement
"Police have recovered 14 bottles containing inflammable fluid, which appears to bekerosene or petrol, two pipes, one digital timer with wires of Orpat brand from the two suit cases,"IG Kumar said. "The exact nature of the fluid would be known only after the tests. Normal timers do not come with wires attached and this is a later addition,"IG Kumar said, and also revealed that a piece of cloth had been placed insidethe bottles to make the fire last.
Police are also appealing to the public at large for help in unravelling thecase, seeking information from anyone who may have seen, sold or manufacturedthe plastic bottles. "We believe about 50 bottles were purchased at one time,"IG Kumar said. A Pakistani national identified as Usman Mohammed, a resident of Karachi,is helping the investigators. "He is one of the eyewitnesses and he is helping us,"IG Kumar said.
The Haryana Police, also apparently have traced telephone calls, which were made before and after the blastsand sources indicate that the bomb fused together in Delhi was kept in a suitcase planted before the train left Delhi.
Security Lapses
As mentioned by our columnistyesterday, and also was emphasised in the list of 527 passengers made availableby the railways posted on this site yesterday,apart from security lapses in checking the baggage and luggage, there werepeople on-board the ill-fated train without even the necessary travel documents whowere allowed to travel onwards to Attari even after the blasts.
The railways are already active on a damage-control exercise. "Two clerks at the general class bookingcounters—Surendra Kumar and Rakesh Maini — were suspended last evening on charges of improper maintenance of records of the tickets issued for the Delhi-Attari train," CPRO Northern Railway Rajiv Saxenaadmitted today, adding that "RPF inspector D R Singh and TTE C P Sharma were suspendedtoday, while Chief Booking Officer D K Sabbarwal was also suspended till furtherorders".
The General Manager of Northern Railways and the Divisional Railway Manager visited the booking counters after the accident yesterday and suspended the officials after checking the records.When contacted, D K Sabbarwal, the Chief Booking Supervisor, confirmed to have received a one line order."No charges have been mentioned. I have only received a one line order saying that I have been suspended," Sabbarwalmaintained.
