Hyderabad blasts: Probe picks up momentum

Hyderabad: The probe into the Hyderabad terror attack gathered further momentum Sunday with police picking up some suspects and National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams fanning to various places to gather clues. A special investigation team of Cyberabad police picked up Mohammed Raeesuddin, a resident of Chandrayangutta area of the old city of Hyderabad, for questioning. He was arrested by police after 2007 blast at Mecca Masjid but was later acquitted by a court. Police also picked up some other suspects for questioning. 15 special teams of Cyberabad and Hyderabad police commissionerates are probing the twin bomb blasts that killed 16 people and injured over 100 at crowded Dilsukhnagar area Thursday.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma told reporters Sunday that they have intensified the probe. He, however, clarified that no arrests were made. He said police were working on various leads but refused to share any information with regard to the investigations. Police with the help of experts were trying to scan the CCTV video footage, which reportedly captured the images of two suspects who planted bombs on bicycles. The CCTV camera in front of Diluskhnagar bus station is believed to have captured the images, which is expected to give a breakthrough to police in identifying the culprits. Police had also asked shop owners in the area to share their CCTV footage to help identify the bomb planters. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy was confident that the police would soon crack the case. She said Saturday that the police made progress in the investigations. NIA, which is helping the police in the investigations, has sent teams to various places to gather clues and piece together the information to crack the case. Since operatives of Indian Mujahideen (IM) had allegedly conducted reconnaissance of some areas including Dilsukhnagar in the past, the NIA is focusing on the terror group`s involvement. One of the NIA teams is in Nellore to question two prisoners lodged in the jail there. Syed Maqbool, an alleged IM operative currently in Tihar Jail, had called on the two prisoners before he was arrested by Delhi Police late last year. NIA officials were also questioning two persons arrested in Bihar Saturday while trying to cross over to Nepal. One of them had driving license obtained in Hyderabad. However, the inquiries at the address shown on driving license revealed that it was obtained by furnishing false address. The investigating agency has also sent its teams to Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and other states for the investigations. PTI