PUNE: Though the police and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have not made any progress in the Monday night bomb blast in Malegaon, a senior police official did not rule out the possibility of Hindu radical groups including the militant Bajrang Dal, of being behind the blast.
The state Additional Director General of police (law and order) Sanjeev Dayal when asked by the media whether the Hindu radical group Bajrang Dal was behind the blast in Malegaon that killed 10 and injured 90, said, “Nothing can be ruled out about their involvement till investigations are over. Even Hindu radical groups are on our radar,” he said.
Dayal ruled out the possibility of the Indian Mujahedeen being involved in the blast in Malegaon, but confirmed that the police were narrowing down on Hindu radical groups. “The explosion doesn’t bear the signature of the Indian Mujahedeen, as it does not have any similarities with other terror strikes that the group had claimed responsibility for. The explosives used by the Indian Mujahedeen were more lethal and sophisticated, as compared to that used in Malegaon. There was a single blast and the explosive was a low intensity one,” Dayal added.
Though the police and the ATS have made no breakthrough in their investigations into the blast, they however, arrested nine activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and are interrogating them. No terror outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.
Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil who visited Malegaon on Tuesday along with state Public Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, offered no solace to blast-hit city and did not have anything new to offer to the angry residents of the town. Patil, however, announced a compensation of 800,000 rupees to those killed and 50,000 and 25,000 to those with serious and minor injuries.
Patil said that the country’s integrity was under attack and appealed to the people to help the government in maintaining law and order. “The aim of the terrorists is to crate a divide between communities and spark riots, and we should not allow them (terrorists) to succeed in their evil mission. We will not spare anyone and the toughest action will be take against the criminals,” Patil said.
On the other hand, Bhujbal justified and defended the police firing in Malegaon and said that several policemen would have died if the police had not fired in the air to disperse the riotous mob that was baying for blood after the blast, he said.
