STF rules out youth arrested at Hardoi as Varanasi blast suspects

Lucknow/Hardoi, Mar 11 (UNI) The Special Task Force (STF) today said the two suspects detained by Hardoi police last night may not be involved in Tuesday's serial blasts in Varanasi, which claimed 17 lives.

A senior STF official who interrogated the two said ''Prima facie they appear to be the same persons whose sketches were issued.'' However, as of now it seemed they were not involved in the crime.

''But we would make a formal announcement to this effect later,'' he added.

The two persons were detained as their description matched with the computer sketches of the accused released by the Varanasi police on Thursday afternoon also for their suspicious behaviour.

The two suspects rounded up by Hardoi police had been sent first to Lucknow and then to Varanasi for further interrogation and identification, Mr Kashinath Singh, SP, Hardoi told UNI over phone.

The sketches were prepared on the basis of inputs provided by traders of Godolia area where two live bombs were defused minutes after the first blast ripped through the famous Sankatmochan temple around 1830 hrs on Tuesday.

UNI NAB/SB MSJ DS1348