Explosives and detonators that went missing from Silvassa -- reported by slain Mid Day Special Investigations Editor J Dey last month -- may have been used in Wednesday's blasts
Explosives and detonators that went missing from Silvassau00a0-- reported by slain Mid Day Special Investigations Editor J Dey last monthu00a0-- may have been used in Wednesday's blasts
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Two days after Home Minister P Chidambaram confirmed that Ammonium Nitrate was used to make the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that ripped through Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazar on July 13, killing 19 persons and grievously injuring more than 130, the question that begs to be asked is whether the explosives and detonators that went missing from the Silvassa police station two months ago, were used in the serial blasts.
Slain MiD DAY Special Investigations Editor J Dey had reported on June 6, 2011 (35 Detonators Vanish from Police Custody) that 35 Ammonium Nitrate explosives and detonators had gone missing from police custody at Silvassa, 190 km from Mumbai.
According to the report, on May 20, a huge cache of 35 detonators, gelatin sticks and large quantity of ammonium nitrate explosives were seized from Umarkui and Sayli village in Silvassa. The Mamlatdar asked the local police to investigate the matter after the explosives were found in a huge cavity near a famous resort.
Ammonium Nitrate, gelatin sticks and detonators laced with high explosives like RDX and SEMTEX have been used in carrying out almost all the blasts like 7/11, Malegaon blast and Mulund train blasts in the past.
The local police at Silvassa filed an FIR and took custody of the explosives at the behest of the Collector Sanjay Goel. The arms cache went missing soon after.
Social activist Jitendra Maru, who filed an RTI seeking details about the missing explosives, suspects that the explosives may have been used in the July 13 blasts. Dey had suspected that there was a strong possibility that the explosives may end up being used in terrorist attacks in the city.
"The matter is very serious. I will file a Public Interest Litigation on Monday against Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and collector of Silvassa," said Maru.
Meanwhile, Goel was not available for comment. Mumbai ATS chief Rakesh Maria said, "We are investigating that angle."
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