A day after a bomb blast outside the Delhi High Court claimed 13 lives and injured over 75 people, investigators on Thursday failed to get definite leads. But a new email, reportedly by the Indian Mujahideen (IM), claimed that it was behind the incident — and not the Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami — and dared the security agencies to prevent another explosion planned by it at a shopping complex next week.
Reward announced
Police have detained five persons in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir and one in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the blast. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakh to anyone providing clues about the explosion.
Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry U.K. Bansal said teams of Anti-Terror Squads from the neighbouring States were coming here for consultations with the NIA and the Delhi Police to help in the probe. Forensic science experts from Gandhinagar and Hyderabad scanned the blast site on Thursday and the NIA was vigorously pursuing various leads and looking at all possible connections.
On the new email, Mr. Bansal said the investigators were examining it to determine its authenticity. The first email, sent by Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami, was traced to the Global Cyber Café in Kishtwar district. Its owner and four others were being questioned by police. The person detained in Balrampur in U.P., resembled one of the sketches released by the Delhi Police and his identity and antecedents were being verified, well placed sources said.Intelligence experts said the latest claim – by IM – could be a ploy to perplex the investigators and turn out to be a prank. The IM claimed that the HuJI had no role in the blast.
Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram presided over a meeting of the chiefs of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Intelligence Bureau and the NIA and reviewed the security scenario.
The Home Ministry has entrusted the probe into the May 25 blast in the Delhi High Court to the NIA.
Bomb blasts in the recent past in Delhi, which occurred outside the Jama Masjid and in Mehrauli, remain unsolved till date.
