AP govt constitutes SIT to probe into twin balsts

Hyderabad, Aug 27 (UNI) The state government today constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of Central Crime Station (CCS) Additional Commissioner Punna Rao to probe into the twin blasts, that claimed more than 40 lives in the city on August 25, and picked up seven persons who have alleged links with the banned terrorist organisations and questioned them.

The City Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh today said the SIT was also probing the alleged role of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and grilling four persons including Dubai based Alkaz Obaid Khamis Ali, who were arrested in connection with Rs 2.60 crore counterfeit currency racket busted by the city police on the same day of the blasts.

''We have some doubts on the four arrested persons who have alleged links with the ISI and Dawood gang,'' he said.

The forensic experts were also conducting a study of comparison of the explosives used in the twin blasts and the Mecca Masjid blasts on May 18.

The police have also grilled two terrorists to achieve a breakthrough in the twin blasts.

Police sources said the SIC team interrogated Shaik Nayeem alias Sameer, a resident of Jalna in Maharashtra, an accused in Samjautha Express bomb blast who was brought to the city in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast and fake passport case in June, to ascertain his or other terrorist group's role in the twin blasts.

The SIC also interrogated an ISI agent Mohd Abdul Sattar alias Annu alias Anwar, who was arrested at the Secunderabad railway station in June. He had undergone training in Pakistan in 2004 in handling weapons and preparing explosives.

Special police teams left for Nagpur to grill Sohail of Amin Explosives, from where explosives were supplied to execute the twin blasts. Both the cases were being transferred to the SIC to speed up the investigations.

UNI