HC blast: No big leads, homegrown terror NIA focus

Four days after the blast outside the Delhi high court, it is becoming evident that investigators are in for the long haul before they can expect to lay their hands on the perpetrators of Wednesday’s terror strike. HT reports. Blast probe: bomb ‘switch’ located

Four days after the blast outside the Delhi high court, it is becoming evident that investigators are in for the long haul before they can expect to lay their hands on the perpetrators of Wednesday’s terror strike.

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National Investigation Agency sleuths are focusing on homegrown terrorists — new operatives as well as remnants of the Indian Mujahideen — who might have cross-border support.

Investigators have found common threads running through the May 25 failed bombing attempt at the high court, the July 13 serial blasts in Mumbai and the September 7 blast at the same court in the Capital.

Interrogation of Muhammad Shoaib Sheikh — the alleged sender of the first email claiming the Harkat-ul-Jehad al-Islami had carried out Wednesday’s blast — continued in Kishtwar in J&K on Saturday.

Union home secretary RK Singh said the government has not dismissed the mails received. “It could be possible that after the blast a few persons tried to fish in troubled waters,” he said.

The NIA’s special DG Prakash Mishra and IG Sanjiv Singh met the Delhi Police brass for better coordination between the agencies.

The NIA has asked for CCTV footage of more than 700 hotels in Delhi to check if any known terror operative stayed here immediately before the blast.

The composition of the improvised explosive device (IED) used in the strike would be an important indicator of the group behind the blast as forensic experts will match it with the composition of previously used IEDs. So far, investigators are certain that pentaerythritol tetranitrate was used on Wednesday.