With the Mumbai Police finding that the terrorists had taken five taxis from Badhwar Park and that the explosions took place in two of them, investigations are on to account for the other three taxis. “Our investigations are on in this regard. We have contacted the taxi union for help on this,” said Maria.

According to the police, the two explosive devices recovered by the police from the front of Yacht Club and Café Leopold were set to explode four hours and 57 minutes from the time they were armed. “The idea of planting them around Taj Mahal hotel might have been to cause casualties when police surrounded the building,” said Maria.

Another such explosive device was detonated by the police inside Oberoi Hotel. They have also recovered several mobile phones and SIM cards.

The Crime Branch also revealed more details about Kasab. “He comes from Faridkot village and was educated till the fourth standard. He moved from his village to stay with his elder brother in Lahore and work as a casual labourer,” said Maria. “His brother worked on a farm. His father Mohammed Ameer (46) is a hawker and mother Noor Elahi (34) a housewife. He also has a younger brother and two sisters, one of whom is older than him. Kasab was promised that his family would be paid 1.5 lakh Pakistani rupees if he died in the terror strikes,” he added.

Maria said it was during Kasab’s interrogation that the police got to know of the existence of Kuber, the trawler in which the terrorists had travelled till reaching four nautical miles from the Mumbai coast.

... contd.