Explosives used in capital's serial blasts sourced from Karnataka: Delhi police

Udupi (Karnataka), Sept 22 : The Delhi Police said on Monday that the explosives used in capital's serial blasts are believed to have come from Karnataka.

Delhi police and intelligence personnel questioned suspects in Manipal town of Karnataka today, where Mohammed Saif, arrested after a shootout in Delhi, was taken to find the source of explosives used in the September 13 bombings in the capital. Besides interrogations in Manipal, a five-member Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau team searched some hotels and other places in the town based on information provided by suspected terrorists arrested for the Delhi bombings.

According to Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police (Special Cell) Karnail Singh, Atif Amin alias Bashir (24), could be the mastermind behind the shadowy Indian Mujahideen who had sent Saif and Sajid to procure explosives from Karnataka.

However, Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya said the explosives were not manufactured in the state but only transported to Delhi via the state.

Superintendent of Police Praveen Pawar told media persons at Udupi, 20 kilometres from Manipal, "The Delhi team did not detain anyone in Manipal but only conducted investigations."

Investigators believe that Saif could prove to be the key in the blast probe as Sajid was killed during the shootout.

The same explosives were used to assemble bombs at Atif's Jamia Nagar house and were detonated in parts of Delhi - one in Karol Bagh's Gaffar market, two in Connaught Place and two in M-block market of Greater Kailash-I - by a module of 13 people, the police maintain.

While Saif was taken to Karnataka, officers from the Delhi Police (South District) and Special Cell were jointly interrogating the three suspected terrorists - Zia-ur-Rahman (22), Mohammed Shakil (23), and Sakib Nissar (22), - who were arrested on Sunday from Jamia Nagar in connection with the Delhi blasts. They are also said to be from the Indian Mujahideen.

All suspects belong to Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district.

ANI