Rubbishing reports that agencies investigating the JM Road serial blasts case were still groping in the dark, Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol yesterday said the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Crime Branch, who are investigating the case simultaneously, are on the right track and the case will be solved soon.
“Investigators are on the right track. There are some things which can not be made public as it may hamper the course of investigation,” Pol said. Sources in the Crime Branch said the investigators have learnt that a motorcycle-borne man, who was carrying a bag full of explosives, had planted them in bicycles parked on JM Road. They said a team comprising ATS and Crime Branch officials are probing the case from this angle as well.u00a0
Mind it: Commissioner of Police Gulabrao Pol in his office yesterday. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
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A source said the investigating officials made a substantial headway in the case after reviewing CCTV footage. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Bansode refused to comment on the issue. ACP (Crime) Vinod Satav, one of the investigating officers, yesterday said the forensic report was expected today.
Sassoon hospital medical superintendent D G Kulkarni said Dayanand Patil, the lone person injured in the blast, was discharged on Monday night. Sources in the ATS said officials took Patil to his hometown Bidar in Karnataka for questioning. They said though the investigators are currently not focusing on Patil as a prime suspect, his role cannot be ruled out completely.
A senior crime branch official said a team was despatched to Ranchi in Jharkhand where people have been detained on suspicion for their involvement in the blasts.u00a0
Preliminary forensic report
There were unconfirmed reports that officials investigating the blasts had received a preliminary report from the forensics lab last night. Sources said the report stated ammonium nitrate and fuel oil were used to prepare the bombs, and absence of booster was one of the reasons for their malfunctioning. Detonators were tied in series to create the booster effect, but the attempt failed.u00a0
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