Samjhauta probe track leads to Indore where suitcases were bought

Although investigators can’t conclusively establish where the bombs were assembled — a possible location, they say, could be western Uttar Pradesh given that the only recovered bomb was wrapped in a January 11, 2006, Aligarh edition of a Hindi newspaper — there is new evidence to show a strong Indore link.

Although IG (Indore) Rajendra Kumar told The Sunday Express that teams from Haryana are carrying out similar investigations in other cities across the country, official sources have confirmed the following findings:

• The 24-inch suitcases in which the six bombs were kept were manufactured in Delhi but the manufacturer has confirmed that sale in Delhi stopped six months ago. He told investigators that there was a distribution outlet in Indore among other cities. Police have already identified a dealer in Indore who is said to have sold the six suitcases to the bombers.

• The lunch box in which the potassium nitrate explosive was kept was of “Saurav Super” brand that is only available in Indore.

• Another corroborative evidence of an Indore link comes from a tailor who stitches suitcase-covers and initials them with “600” on 24-inch suitcases — the same initials found in the blast debris. Sources said this tailor, who is four shops away from the suitcase dealer, has admitted to police that he made the suitcase covers and confirmed his handwriting.

The presence of this Indore link is leading investigators to track the local network of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). SIMI, whose general secretary, Safdar Naguari, hails from nearby Ujjain, has also been charged with Mumbai train blasts last July and the attack on the Barelvi sect mosque in Malegaon last September.

The banned outfit has proven links with HUJI of Bangladesh that is said to have provided bombers for the Varanasi Sankatmochan temple blasts last year and its cadres...