Zeenews Bureau
Pune: Investigators remain clueless on Thursday about the conspiracy behind the serial low-intensity blasts that rocked Maharashtra’s cultural capital Pune yesterday. The man who got injured in one of the blasts, who was thought to be the main suspect, has been given a clean chit by the police, reports claimed.
A local tailor, Dayanand Patil, was injured in the blast at Balgandharva Theatre. He is a local and had accidentally picked up the bag out of curiosity, opened it and got injured. He was discharged from Sasoon Hospital today morning but was taken into custody by the Pune Crime Branch for further questioning. Patils’ wife has also been called to the police station in connection with the probe.
Union Home Secretary RK Singh said that it would be premature to arrive at any conclusion on the nature and motive of the blast. However, Singh said terror angle cannot be ruled out since it seems to be a planned attack.
In the backdrop of the blasts, New Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has called a high-level meet today to discuss the security situation in the country.
Pune was rocked by a bomb blast at German Bakery in February 2010 in which 15 people were killed.
Between 7.27 pm and 8.15 pm four explosions occurred at Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road at spots near Balgandharva Theatre, Dena Bank branch, a McDonald food outlet and Garware bridge.
The explosion outside McDonald went off in a dustbin while the blasts near Garware bridge and Dena bank were reported from a cycle which had a bucket with explosives strapped on, police said.
Besides Maharashtra ATS sleuths, the blasts are being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a bomb disposal squad of National Security Guards (NSG) was also rushed to Pune.
Blast-hit bicycles and dustbins have been sent to Kalina Forensic Laboratory for further analysis.
Following the blasts, high vigil is being maintained across the country. Security forces are keeping a strict vigil at public places as huge crowds are expected on the streets on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
First Published: Thursday, August 02, 2012, 09:14