Mumbai blasts: Initial probe points to LeT, SIMI

The preliminary investigations into yesterday's serial blasts in Mumbai have pointed to the involvement of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT) members in the attack which left 183 people dead and more than 700 injured.

Reliable sources in the police said, "According to the preliminary information we have, a SIMI and LeT module from Solapur was involved in the attack and the conspiracy was hatched in Kalyan. So far, five persons have been detained for inquiry and raids are being conducted at several places in Mumbai and adjoining areas."

He also admitted the possibility that these may be the terror cells that escaped the police net in Aurangabad around a month ago. In late May, the state police had seized 43 kg RDX, 15 AK-47 rifles and a cache of arms from Malegaon and Aurangabad and arrested 15 persons in this connection.

Other reports also suggested the possible involvement of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is rumoured to have met Al-Qaida emissaries in Pakistan last month.

Addressing a press conference, state Director General of Police P S Pasricha said, "Without the support of the locals, it is not possible to carry out this kind of well orchestrated attacks. Some individuals are under our scanner."

He denied that Tuesday's blasts were an intelligence failure. "In the case of the attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and the Malegaon arms seizure, we got the upper hand and we could foil their designs in time but this time we could not do so," he said.

Pasricha said, "We are in close touch with the central agencies and are trying to probe whether there was any linkage between bomb attacks in Srinagar and Mumbai."

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Assembly condemned the attack as a "cowardly attack on innocent people" and an "attack on the sovereignty of India".

The resolution tabled by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh also saluted the courage and spirit of Mumbaikars who were out on streets helping those in distress in whatever manner they could. Earlier in the day, Deshmukh chaired an all-party meeting. The meeting passed a resolution to maintain calm and restraint.

Deshmukh also called an unofficial meeting with telecom operators where he is reported to have expressed his concern over the repeated jamming of phone lines during emergencies. Phones had also jammed during last year's floods.

He appealed to the industry to install additional capacity to tide over such contingencies.

While replying to a debate on the adjournment motion on Tuesday's bomb blast in the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who also holds the home portfolio, announced Rs 25 lakh cash reward for giving vital information on the identity of those behind the blast.

He informed the House that 16 police teams had been formed to go after the culprits and combing operations and raids were being conducted in various parts of the state including Mumbai.

Refuting allegations by the Opposition that the blasts signalled failure of the police machinery, Patil said, "Police machinery in the state is already over-stretched due to a shortage of funds and manpower."

He added that "protecting the lives of passengers and railway property is the primary responsibility of Railway Protection Force (RPF)."

However, a decision to increase the number of RPF personnel in the city had been taken in a meeting with Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav yesterday and state and central government would equally share the cost of additional deployment of RPF personnel in Mumbai, he said.

He further said that out of the 183 people killed in the blasts, bodies of 123 had been identified by their relatives, while 72 bodies had been handed over to the relatives.