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Hunt on for HuJI militants in Mumbai

Special Correspondent

Explosive placed on cycle in Thane theatre
Alert on HuJI threat from Assam police

MUMBAI: A bomb-like device went off in the parking area of a drama theatre in Thane city near here on Wednesday afternoon, injuring five persons even as the city police continued their search for four terrorists of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI).

Police sources said the device packed in a plastic bag had been left on a bicycle. Four of the injured were theatre staff. The blast occurred when they tried to remove the bag. The fifth one was a bystander. The injured were admitted to a local hospital and stated to be out of danger.

The blast comes close on the heels of the discovery of a live bomb inside a drama theatre in Navi Mumbai, the twin city of this metropolis. It was noticed by a spectator who informed the theatre management. A major blast was averted. There were about 300 spectators watching a Marathi play at the time.

The hunt for the HuJI terrorists follows an alert from the Assam police. Surveillance at key places in the city and all entry and exit points has been increased.

A top police officer said the Assam police had learnt during interrogation of some militants that the HuJI was preparing to target Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the Railway Police said scores of its personnel searched the Bikaner-bound Secunderabad Express at Bhusaval station in Maharashtra after receiving an anonymous letter containing a bomb threat.

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