In a major breakthrough in the June 10th Pune bomb blast case, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has prepared a sketch of the alleged suspect through the CCTV footages procured by them.
The sketch was prepared with the help of a footage which shows two people riding on the stolen bike which was used to plant the bomb in the compound of the Faraskhana police station near the famous Dagdusheth temple on July 10th. Five people including a police constable were injured in the blast.
Since the footage was of poor quality based on the grab, a sketch was prepared, the police said.
"The sketch has been circulated amongst police officials and our informant network. Over two dozen people have been questioned in connection with the case," a senior ATS officer told The Hindu.
"This is the first concrete clue in the case and has put the investigations in the right track," he added.
The bike belonging to a police constable was stolen from a local court in Satara on June 25th when the policeman had gone to the court in connection with the hearing of a case. Two days after the bike was untraceable, he lodged a complaint with the local police.
The bike details were communicated to the nearby toll booths through the police wireless. Despite that the accused who did not change the number plate of the bike managed to enter the Pune city without being stopped anywhere. The accused allegedly planted the bomb in a steel pipe and placed in the storage carrier of the bike and parked it in the police compound. They then fled from the spot.
Meanwhile, the police have also received the preliminary forensic report on the bomb make which has stated that potassium chlorate and ammonium nitrate along with shrapnel were used to make the low intensity bomb. The report also state an analogue clock was used to trigger the bomb.
In a related development, a Kashmiri youth claiming to be a member of the Hizbul Mujaheedin surrendered at the special branch office of the Mumbai police on Friday morning claiming responsibility for the Pune blast.
Bashir Ahmed Goglu, a native of Baramulla in Kashmir claimed that he and three of his associates identified by him as - Sajid Malik, Muddasar Nazar and Najid Shah carried out the July 10th blast in Pune and had plans to carry out serial blasts in Mumbai on July 20th.
He has been arrested for public mischief and criminal intimidation under the IPC.
"He has been changing his statements frequently. Its looks like a case of personal enmity and we are verify the claims made by him," senior police inspector Narendra Singh of the Azad Maidan police station told The Hindu.
