13/7 blasts probe looks at five mobile numbers

Calls Were Made To Ahd, Benares and Rajasthan

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Investigators into the 13/7 serial bomb blasts are focusing on five mobile numbers from Ahmedabad, Benaras, Rajasthan and Mumbai.

Police sources said repeated calls were made from Zaveri Bazar and Crawford Market to a number in Ahmedabad before and after the blasts, while calls were also made from a mobile in Opera House area to someone in Benaras. The sources said the police zeroed in on these numbers while scanning over 800 telephone calls. Another number, say police, was traced to Rajasthan. Twenty-one people died and 130 were injured in three blasts at Opera House, Zaveri Bazar and Dadar on July 13.

The call data records of these “suspicious” calls have been scrutinized and the police have contacted the service providers. “Investigations into these mobile numbers disclosed that all were obtained with fake documents and addresses, and photos of some other persons were used. We are trying to find out who had been using these numbers. The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) is in touch with the Gujarat and Rajasthan police, and central agencies, but we have not been able to trace the suspicious persons who used the mobile numbers,” said an officer in the security establishment.

The police are also probing how SIM cards were issued on fake addresses and names. “The distributors and retailers of those SIM cards were summoned for questioning, but even they could not throw light on it,” the source said.

On Friday afternoon, a fivemember team of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), led by inspector-general Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, visited the ATS Nagpada headquarters and discussed the blasts investigations with its chief Rakesh Maria for nearly three hours.
“We have got important leads in the case but cannot reveal them now,” said Maria.

Govt to keep tabs on mall CCTVs too
Mumbai: The state has decided to keep tabs on human movement at malls, multiplexes and other spots following the July 13 blasts. Senior officials said the government may insist on round-the-clock access to images from CCTVs at such premises. The plan is to integrate that with extensive video surveillance being planned for roads, other public places and vital installations. The police are keen to access movement at crowded private places too. The state will invite expressions of interest from agencies to set up a network that can detect abnormal movement and sound an alert. TNN

The Times of India, July 23, 2011