One blast has blown the lid off a protracted war between groups fighting to take control of the holy shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti — mainly its finances — and truth looks like the first casualty. These groups are blaming each other for the blast and even on a crucial issue like security, there are allegations and counter-allegations.

For one, no one is able to say for sure how many CCTV cameras were installed at the dargah. While the Khadims, the traditional volunteers who number about 5000 families and who are considered the foot-soldiers of the dargah, say there were 14. The Dargah Nazim, appointed by the Central Government to look into the shrine’s management, says there were 16 and the police say there were 17.

How many of them were working? The answers vary again.

•Says Ahmed Raza, Dargah Nazim: “All the CCTVs were in operation and we checked all on Thursday morning. We also repaired a few which were not functioning then. However, recording of what is caught by the camera is not our job. The CID has been given a room where they can do this and I cannot say if they were recording the images or not.”

•Ajmer Collector Naveen Mahajan says that he “believed” cameras were functional and images were recorded. “I don’t have the details since the Nazim is responsible for them.”

•Says Additional Director General of Police (Crime) A K Jain: “Few cameras were working but there is no facility of recording.”

... contd.