7/13 probe: ATS claims ‘2 good leads’

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria revealed this here on Saturday,adding that a sketch of a suspect should be ready by late Saturday based on eyewitness account from one of the blast sites. The police are also trying to locate an individual seen in the CCTV image picked up from another blast site,he said,confirming that they have “two leads for two blast sites”,and that these were “good leads”.

Maria added that based on “forensic opinion” and “visits to various sites”,they had firmly ruled out the possibility of a suicide bomber being involved. According to sources,cellphones were used as timers in all the three bombs.

Talking about the CCTV footage,the ATS chief said: “Locals’ help is being sought to identify the individuals. This work is still not complete. We do have a photograph at one of the locations which needs more verification and investigation. Our team is on the job on this individual.”

The police have been able to pinpoint the location of each of the blasts from the forensic evidence available. The claim by a Kurla resident that he had heard four persons conspiring at a guesthouse in Kalyan has turned out to be a false lead. A call from Buldhana is the only one that is still to be verified. Police are also checking details of a few other scooters parked at Zaveri Bazaar at the time of the blast. The scooter in which the bomb was hidden has been traced to a local goldsmith based in Byculla. “It is registered in Gujarat,with the owner traced to Mumbai. It’s not a suspect vehicle.”

Maria reiterated that they were not in a position to name any outfit as being responsible for the blasts till they had more clues. The joint teams of the Crime Branch and ATS have spread their investigations to other states,including Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh,Karnataka,Gujarat,UP and Andhra Pradesh.