New terror group likely behind Delhi blast

Although the Prime Minister said it was “too early” to identify the group behind Wednesday’s blast, there are clear indications that an indigenous group with no linkages to the known remnants of the Indian Mujahideen was responsible. Shishir Gupta reports. HT C fore survey: Delhiites blame govt

Although the Prime Minister said it was “too early” to identify the group behind Wednesday’s blast, there are clear indications that an indigenous group with no linkages to the known remnants of the Indian Mujahideen was responsible.

Experts said no recent activity from the IM veterans indicated that an all-new formation, with no connection with the old boys, has been targeting the country.

But the sources said the only alert the Delhi Police got on July 29 was about a possible attack by Sikh militants in case of death row convict and Khalistan Liberation Front leader Devinder Singh Bhullar being hanged.

Sources said preliminary information indicated that the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) e-mail claiming responsibility was sent through a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited internet protocol address after bouncing off proxy servers based in South Africa. Since BSNL’s National Operating Centre in Bangalore was yet to come out with specific information till late Wednesday, it was not clear whether HuJI had anything to do with the blast.

The National Investigation Agency and others, however, have found that the composition of the bomb in the Delhi high court was similar to the unexploded device found outside the same court on May 25 — both had nails and similar chemical compositions.

They said the group had been able to perfect the device after it failed on May 25 as two detonators caught fire. There was no timer or detonator found in the explosions in Varanasi’s Sheetla Ghat in December last, the July 13 blasts in Mumbai and at the Delhi high court on Wednesday.