CCTV footage holds key to cracking blasts case

The probe into the Hyderabad terror attack gathered further momentum yesterday with police picking up some suspects and National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams fanning out to various places to gather clues. A special investigation team of Cyberabad police picked up Mohammed Raeesuddin, a resident of Chandrayangutta area of the old city of Hyderabad, for questioning. He was arrested by police after 2007 blast at Mecca Masjid but was later acquitted by a court.

Pic/AFP

Police with the help of experts were trying to scan the CCTV video footage, which reportedly captured the images of two suspects who planted bombs on bicycles. The CCTV camera in front of Diluskhnagar bus station is believed to have captured the images, which is expected to give a breakthrough to police in identifying the culprits. Police had also asked shop owners in the area to share their CCTV footage to help identify the bomb planters.

Police also picked up some other suspects for questioning. 15 special teams of Cyberabad and Hyderabad police commissionerates are probing the twin bomb blasts that killed 16 people and injured over 100 at crowded Dilsukhnagar area Thursday. Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said that they have intensified the probe. He, however, clarified that no arrests were made. He said police were working on various leads but refused to share any information with regard to the investigations.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy was confident that the police would soon crack the case. She said Saturday that the police made progress in the investigations. u00a0One of the NIA teams is in Nellore to question two prisoners lodged in the jail there. Syed Maqbool, an alleged IM operative currently in Tihar Jail, had called on the two prisoners before he was arrested by Delhi Police late last year.

NIA officials were also questioning two persons arrested in Bihar Saturday while trying to cross over to Nepal. One of them had driving license obtained in Hyderabad. However, the inquiries at the address shown on driving license revealed that it was obtained by furnishing false address. The investigating agency has also sent its teams to Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and other states for the investigations.

Blasts are reaction to Qasab, Afzal hangings, says home minister
Terming the Hyderabad twin blasts a reaction to executions of terror convicts Ajmal Qasab and Afzal Guru, union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde stressed the need for the anti-terror hub and said he will talk to various chief ministers who were opposed to it. "We have been giving terror alerts throughout the country. We were expecting, when there have been two executions in the country, some reactions were bound to happen," Shinde said. He exuded confidence that the forensic tests done in the aftermath of the blasts will yield results and the culprits would be arrested soon. Ajmal Qasab, the lone survivor of the ten Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai on 26/11, was hanged Nov 21 last year. Afzal Guru was executed on Feb 9 for his role in the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. Stressing the need for the formation of the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Shinde said he was hopeful of getting the cooperation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is among several chief ministers to oppose the move.

Alleged LeT letter warns of more attacks
Three days after twin bomb blasts killed 16 people and injured over 115, a letter said to be sent by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility and threatened more terror attacks. BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit president G Kishan Reddy received a letter purportedly written by the LeT, threatening to attack Begum Bazaar, a major business centre of the city. The LeT, in the letter, also claimed responsibility for Thursday's terror attacks in Dilsukhnagar. Kishan Reddy said the letter was handed over to the Abids police station. Police said they were examining the letter to ascertain its veracity and to trace its origin. Begum Bazar was one of the areas where the alleged operatives of Indian Mujahideen (IM) conducted reconnaissance to carry out attacks. u00a0

PM visits terror-hit Hyderabad
Lending a healing touch to victims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the scenes of twin blasts and also called on the injured. Three days after the terrorists struck crowded Dilsukhnagar area, killing 16 people, the prime minister went around the sites and took stock of the situation.u00a0Manmohan Singh said he was visiting Hyderabad to share grief and sorrow of the people. He praised the people of Hyderabad for maintaining calm after the terror attacks. "It is most important that in this hour of grief, people should maintain calm. I am very happy in that way. Hyderabad people have refused to be provoked by this nefarious act of terrorists. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. To those who died, I send my condolences to the bereaved families. I have been assured by the state government that the best possible medical care is being made available to the injured," Manmohan Singh said. u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0u00a0