Three persons from Indore were picked up by Maharashtra police and are being interrogated in Mumbai in connection with the Malegaon bomb blasts amid suspicions that Hindu extremist groups could be involved in the recent explosions in Malegaon and Modasa in Gujarat. Top police sources said in Indore that in a very secret operation, Maharashtra police had taken three persons -- Shyam Lal, Dilip Nahar and Dharmendra Bairagi-- into custody from the city in Madhya Pradesh on October 19 in connection with a theft of a motorcycle for assisting in the probe into the explosions.

Later, they were taken to Mumbai where their interrogation was going on in connection with bomb blasts in Malegaon in Maharashtra, the sources said.

Maharashtra police suspects that the trio had stolen the motorcycle which was used for Malegaon blasts in which five persons were killed.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra police said they were still investigating the alleged involvement of Hindu right wing groups in the September 29 explosions in Malegaon in Maharashtra and Modasa. One person was killed in the Modasa attack. In both the incidents, bombs were placed on motorcycles parked in crowded area to cause maximum human casualty.

"We are investigating the matter currently and will share the details of investigations at the appropriate time," an Anti-Terrorism Squad(ATS) official said in Mumbai when asked to comment on press reports that a Hindu right wing group based in Indore was involved in carrying out the two blasts.