38 killed, 150 injured in Malegaon blasts; curfew clamped

New Delhi, Sep 8 (UNI) In a gruesome terror attack in Maharashtra, nearly two months after the Mumbai serial blasts, at least 38 people were killed and over 150 wounded in three explosions this afternoon in Malegaon, resulting in clashes which forced the authorities to impose curfew.

However, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh put the toll at 31. But hospital sources at Malegaon said 38 people had died and 11 of the wounded were still critical.

Describing it an act of ''terrorism'', the Chief Minister, however, said the terrorist outfit behind the crime would be known during the course of investigation being undertaken by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the state police.

The Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each for the bereaved families and Rs 50,000 for the wounded, adding medical expenses of the seriously wounded would be borne by the government.

Appealing to the people to maintain peace, Mr Deshmukh urged the electronic media not to telecast ''disturbing visuals'' of the crime which could hurt sentiments of the people.

Briefing newspersons after holding a high-level meeting at his official residence at Mumbai this evening, Mr Deshmukh said it would be extreme to describe it an intelligence failure. He said the government had made adequate security in Malegaon where two companies of the Special Reserve Police (SRP) were deployed today.

He said four more SRP companies have reached the town.

The Chief Minister said the Union Home Ministry has accepted the State government's request to retain 20 companies of the CRPF for deployment in sensitive areas, adding these paramilitary personnel had come to Maharashtra in view of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations which concluded yesterday.

Agitated people clashed with the police in the aftermath of the blasts, which occurred on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat. Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who holds the Home portfolio, is camping in the town to monitor the situation.

Malegaon's Additional Superintendent of Police xxxx Eds: Pls pick up from line one, para two of DR 56, (BLAST-OVERALL LEAD MAHARASHTRA).

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