German bakery blast probe: ATS, forensic experts claims differ

Sumir Kaul

Mumbai/Pune, Feb 20 (PTI) Chinks have startedappearing in the elite Maharashtra ATS'' probe into theyear-old German bakery blast case with police claiming amobile phone alarm was used to cause the explosion whileforensic experts are yet to decipher the triggering mechanism.

In its charge sheet, ATS claimed that wanted accusedMohsin Chowdhury and Yasin Bhatkal and arrested accusedHimayat Baig went to Mumbai to purchase a sack and a Nokia1100 model mobile phone which was subsequently used as atriggering device to cause the bomb explosions.

According to the charge sheet, the explosives wereplanted in the sack and kept at the German bakery at 1700hours on February 13, 2010.

"...the bomb subsequently exploded at 18.50 hourstriggered with the help of mobile alarm triggering devicethereby causing death of 17 people and seriously injuring 56,"the ATS claims in the charge sheet.

This set alarm bells among the investigators includingthe National Investigating Agency (NIA) as no forensic testshad shown any presence of a mobile phone from the scene of theblast.

Repeated queries to the ATS by other probe agenciesfor providing the International Mobile Equipment Identity(IMEI) number did not fructify. The ATS had now informed thePune court that it would be submitted a fresh set of documentsbefore it on February 22.

Baig''s counsel A Rehman also said that there was nomention of any mobile phone in the forensic tests.

After sensational disclosure of Swami Aseemanand thatMalegaon blasts of 2006 were carried out by right wing terrorgroups, eye-brows have started appearing in connection withthe ATS investigations in the Pune bakery blast.

Last week, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had termedthe case as "unsolved" along with the blast cases in Delhi''sJama Masjid area and Varanasi.

Asked whether the investigations into the Germanbakery case were complete, Pillai said, "Still it isunsolved.." and added that the modus operandi used in the Puneblast was different from that in Varanasi and Delhi. (MORE)PTI SKL