Mumbai:
Over 24 hours have lapsed since the Mumbai blasts, but authorities are still clueless about the perpetrators of this act of terror.
In the absence of any claimants, investigators are now hoping that CCTV footage collected from the three blast sites will provide significant leads.
Video footage captured by more than 46 CCTV cameras is now in the process of being scrutinised by special teams from the crime branch and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), including experts from central agencies.
Senior investigation officials working on the case said that about 35 CCTV cameras from Zaveri Bazar, two from Opera House, and three or four from the Dadar area had been dismantled, and taken in their custody.
Cops are also going from door to door in Dadar, asking shop-owners for footage from their private CCTV cameras.
"We are closely monitoring all the visuals obtained from the security cameras. We are hopeful of getting a lead that will help us crack the case. Even a fleeting glimpse of a suspect will be helpful," said an ATS official.
Officials also revealed that though the CCTV cameras surveying the Opera House had been damaged by the impact of the blast, footage had been retrieved from them.
Next is the inspection of footage gleaned from cameras stationed at adjoining roads in the affected areas, to detect any suspicious activity.
The primary focus now is to identify survivors and extract eyewitness accounts from them, in order to find out if they noticed any suspicious activity at the sites immediately prior to the blasts.
Next on the cards will be the task of corroborating these accounts with CCTV footage, in order to rule out any possibility of human error.
ATS chief Rakesh Maria said, "We have collected CCTVs from the blast sites and adjoining areas. Going through all the footage with a vigilant eye is a lengthy process, and is sure to take some time."