BOMBAY, 25 October 2006 — Admitting that the probe into the Bombay train blasts is not yet over, Anti-Terrorist Squad chief K.P. Raghuvanshi said the ATS was looking into the different aspects of the blasts to get a clear picture of the entire episode.

Despite reports of a breakthrough and initial claims of having obtained sound evidence about the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, the case has not made any headway. The setback is attributed to the tug-of-war between two top cops - state Director General Dr. Pavender Singh Pasricha and Bombay Police Commissioner Anami Narayan Roy. State Home Minister R.R. Patil has been blamed for not overseeing the case properly.

Giving yet another twist to the case, Raghuvanshi confirmed the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists in the country — stage two of the drama. Referring to the arrests of Mohammed Zubair and Mohammed Sohail, who were rounded up in West Bengal, Raghuvanshi said the two had admitted that Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists had entered Indian cities, including Bombay, to carry out suicide attacks.

This disclosure by the suspects, Raghuvanshi said, was a serious cause of concern for the police, as Jaish is a terrorist group specialized in carrying out suicide attacks. Raghuvanshi said the two terror outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish, had joined hands in carrying out the July train blasts. This, he said, is a relatively new phenomenon as it shows terror outfits have synchronized their plans to sow terror.

Asked whether Al-Qaeda had any role in the blasts, Raghuvanshi said the terror network did not have a direct involvement, but that Lashkar and Jaish are offshoots of Al-Qaeda.

Responding to another question about Bombay being seen by many as a volatile city prone to terror attacks and about future plans to prevent possible strikes, Raghuvanshi said new security measures were being taken that would provide security to vital installations and the city. “There will also be periodic review of security measures at key places in the city,” he said.

Asked if charges in the blasts case would be filed before the Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries meet in November, the ATS chief said the filing of the charges had nothing to do with the meeting of the two foreign secretaries. Refusing to give a time frame, Raghuvanshi said the charges would be filed against the accused after the probe is completed.