Leads in Mumbai blasts case

Leads in Mumbai blasts case: Govt sources - NDTV.com - News on Leads in Mumbai blasts case: Govt sources: "Each of the bombs was similar. In fact, intelligence sources are looking at the possibility of the Mumbai blasts being a part of the same operation, which carried out the attack at Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science and Varanasi.

Two months ago, 30 kg of RDX was recovered, so perhaps some might have slipped past the security forces. The bombs in Mumbai were set off using timer devices, considering all the seven blasts took place within a span of 11 minutes. At least 183 people were killed and 714 injured in a series of blasts in the city.

Several modules of LeT and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) have been busted and huge amount of explosive materials, including RDX, recovered during raids at various places in Aurangabad, Nasik and Nagpur in the last two months. In the largest haul of RDX in Maharashtra in over a decade, 30 kg of the deadly explosive concealed in computer CPUs was recovered, along with 10 AK-47 rifles, and a large cache of ammunition.

The RDX was recovered after an hour-and-a-half-long chase through the hilly jungles of Aurangabad. The Anti-Terrorist Squad finally caught up with the Sumo of the suspected terrorists near Ellora.

Three of the accused Amir Shakil Ahmad (30), Zubair Syyed Anwar (26) and Muzaffar Mohammad Tanvir (24), all of them from Juna Bazaar area of Aurangabad, were produced in a Mumbai court. Later in the day Muzaib Patel, the owner of the Sumo, surrendered to the Aurangabad police.

The police suspect a jihad angle as the carriers did not receive any money to transport the arms. The chief of this network appears to be a man called Chima who is currently located in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. Investigations reveal that two of their associates Abdul Azim and the kingpin of this operation Zabi Ansari were in an Indica that escaped during the chase.

The Indica was found abandoned on the Nashik-Shirdi Highway but nothing was found in it. Within hours an investigation team ran into a heap of abandoned arms and explosives- 50 hand grenades, one AK 47 rifle and magazines at the base of a hill in the Ankaye Killa area of Malegaon, 100 km from Aurangabad.

Five people are arrested on charges of forging the Indica licence plate. ATS found 12 kg of RDX, five AK-47s and 1000 rounds of bullets from an electric shop in Malegaon. The owner, Abdullah was taken into custody.

After a day of lull came yet another arrest. Bilal Abdul Razzak Ansari, an Urdu translator was arrested from Aurangabad. Ten people have been arrested in this case so far. The police are now hunting for mastermind Zabi Ansari and his associate who disappeared during the chase on Wednesday.

Seven blasts rocked Mumbai on Tuesday within minutes of each other with the first one at Khar-Santa Cruz at 6:24 pm (IST). The second blast was reported at Jogeshwari station at 6:25 pm (IST) while the third blast took place at Borivali at 6:26 pm (IST). Soon after, the fourth explosion took place at Mahim at 6:28 pm (IST) while the fifth blast was reported at Mira Road at 6:31 pm (IST). While the sixth blast was reported from Bandra at 6:33 pm (IST), the seventh explosion occurred at the Matunga station at 6:34 pm (IST).

March 12, 1993: A series of bomb blasts ripped through 13 places in the city, killing 257 people and injuring 713. These were the first blasts in which RDX was used and the explosions were allegedly planned by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

December 2, 2002: Two persons were killed and 31 injured when a powerful bomb exploded in a municipal bus outside Ghatkopar suburban railway station.

December 6, 2002: Twenty-five people were injured when a bomb exploded in a food plaza at Bombay Central railway station. The bomb was planted in an air-conditioning duct.

January 27, 2003: Thirty people were injured when a crude bomb planted in a bicycle exploded at a shopping complex outside Vile Parle railway station.

March 13, 2003: Eleven people were killed and 65 injured when a powerful bomb exploded in a 'ladies special' train when it was entering Mulund railway station in the peak hours.

August 25, 2003: Two blasts occurred one after the other at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar, killing 46 people and injuring more than 160. RDX was planted in taxis parked at both these places. (With PTI inputs)