If so, perpetrators had access to military-grade explosive
Forensic scientists of the National Security Guard (NSG) believe that the lethal high explosive PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) was used in Wednesday's blast in the Delhi High Court complex, sources in the investigation told The Hindu.
The use of PETN raises the prospect that the perpetrators had access to military-grade explosives — either from terrorist groups operating in States like Jammu and Kashmir or from a military source.
Except the 2010 bombing of the German Bakery in Pune, all post-26/11 urban terror attacks have used ammonium nitrate — easily available for use in mining and as a fertilizer.
Investigators, however, urged caution, saying the NSG's finding needed to be corroborated by more thorough tests now being conducted at the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory.
Two separate sources in the investigation said the pattern of the Delhi High Court strike did not appear to indicate the use of plastic explosives.
Early findings of Indian bomb-tests have often been disproved by subsequent investigation. The 2006 attacks on Mumbai's train system were thought to have used RDX, but later the chemical was found to be ammonium nitrate.
PETN is used by both militaries and terrorist groups. In 2001, al-Qaeda operative Richard Reid attempted to bring down a transatlantic flight using PETN hidden in his shoes. Eight years later, the Nigerian al-Qaeda operative, Umar Farooq Abdulmutallab, made a similar attempt, hiding 80 gm. of PETN inside his underwear.
Al-Qaeda also used PETN for an attempt to bring down cargo planes last year using bombs hidden in inkjet printer cartridges.
Difficult to detect
The explosive is favoured by terrorists because sniffer dogs and machines find it difficult to detect it.
Maharashtra investigators made an arrest in the Pune blast, and are seeking six fugitives, including the men they claim were responsible for fabricating and planting explosive devices. There has so far been no account of where the explosive material used in the bombing was obtained. Intelligence sources said RDX might have been sourced from terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, but no hard evidence had emerged.
Keywords: Delhi High Court blast, PETN use, military-grade explosive, National Security Guard, forensic find
There is a lot of misconception in the public mind about police investigation. They get all excited and quickly disappointed when there is no "breakthrough" in a few days little realizing that investigation is a long and laborious effort that must collect facts that will stand in a court of law. Also, when case is finally convicted how many read about it in our newspapers? How many newspapers/media show successful police investigation? Very few because police success does not make news and does not give TRPs. How many know that at least 55 people died in US due to Islamic fundamentalism AFTER 9/11? Yet TV anchors who dont know difference between insurgency and terrorism keep saying "See USA - no terroristy incident after 9/11" etc.
Rahul Gandhi stated that it is not possible to totally stop such terrorist activities.When this is so why to waste money for it's probe, which is going to submit the failure reports as they have done in the past.Let the party who has faith to check such activities come to power and make the country safe.
The most important thing is that we are not still able to stop such blasts even after so many blasts of same patterns. The intelligence agencies ,if had been able enough to catch the culprits in earlier attacks investigation, it could be said that the current investigation would result in a good evidence to arrest the culprits of this attack . but we all know all this investigation will be going in vain at last as it had been occurring since years . the main objective is to reform our policing and security structure which perhaps actually had been obsolete.
I don't understand why security agencies are always pointing to some particular organization without completing proper investigation,
In the Sadhvi Pragya case, in Malegaon blast, an army man was involved. Has he got any live links, with serving men now? Probe his phone logs,
This is like post martem report; telling the cause of death. Whether explosions are caused by RDX, PETN, Ammonium nitrate/ perchlorate etc are irrelevant. In today's world, terrorists have access to high technology and are well trained and motivated. Whether our intelligence agencies and other security agencies have raised to the occasion is the question. There is no point in beating around the bush and making noise every time these things happen. Today the situation is any such attack can happen anywhere in our thickly populated country.
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