Kanpur, Delhi, Indore:
Following the Saturday blast in Pune, three other cities - Delhi, Kanpur and Indore - have now been put on high alert.
A general advisory has also been issued by the Home Ministry to all states to be on alert. Home Minister P Chidambaram held a security review meeting in the capital on Sunday. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief him on the Pune blast.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has said that security is being increased in Indore ahead of the BJP National executive meet in Indore which is from 17th-19th Feb.
Meanwhile, the German Bakery blast in Pune has the government facing the same question from both the public and the Opposition: Given that this was seen as vulnerable to a terror attack, was enough done to keep it safe?
Latest reports say at least nine people were killed and 57 injured after a bomb in a backpack exploded in the German Bakery across the road from the Jewish Chabad House and a stone's throw from the Osho Ashram.
Sources have told NDTV that there is a David Headley link to the Puneblasts. Sources say Headley planned the attack and it was executed bysleeper cell.
Terror suspect David Headley had visited the Osho Ashram and stayed ata hotel in the same area in 2008. All this was revealed after Headleywas arrested by the FBI in Chicago in last September. After that, UnionHome Minister P Chidambaram says, Pune's "Koregan Park was on theradar." (Read: 26/11 suspect Headley did recce of blast site)
However,the Home Minister added, "The prayer centre and the Osho Ashram werethe hard targets and a number of security measures were taken by thepolice for these."
Headley, the Pakistan-born American terror suspect, was arrested by the FBI last year. (Read & Watch: Govt had 'non-specific' intelligence: Chagan Bhujbal) | (Watch: Had no intelligence on bakery: R R Patil)
Governmentsources say the Headley link suggests the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), whichorchestrated the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, is most likely behind thePune blast.
A possible Lashkar connection will make it toughfor the Indian government to defend its offer of talks to Pakistan,made last week, and accepted by Pakistan.
In Delhi on Sunday,Opposition leader Arun Jaitley said: "These were Indian pre-conditionsthat as long as Pakistani soil is used for building infrastructure ofterror against India, and till such time there is cooperation in thecontext of 26/11, we cannot talk to Pakistan. The composite dialoguecannot resume. But nothing seems to have changed and the government ofIndia took a U-turn."
The bomb exploded at 6:52 pm on Saturdayevening. "I told my boss there was a red and black colour bag under thetable. He told me go and get it, then somebody else asked for water soI went to get four bottles. That's when the blast happened," said ParasRemal, said a waiter at the bakery. (Exclusive: Key eyewitness' brush with death)
Following the blast, the Home Ministry has advised all citizens of thecountry not to touch any unidentified or unclaimed object or baggage,but report it to the nearest police station. (Read: No intelligence failure in Pune: Chidambaram)
Thebakery itself is a hangout for foreign national tourists and localsalike. The blast occurred was so powerful that it left a 4x6 ft craterin the bakery wall. It was initially reported as a simple LPG cylinderblast. (Watch: Biggest terror act in 14 months, says Chidambaram)
Soonafter, the Home Ministry issued a confirmation from Delhi. "It was abomb blast; it was an IED. It appears that an unattended package wasopened by a waiter and it exploded," said Home Secretary G K Pillai. (Watch the press conference)
The Home Secretary also said that none of the nine persons killed is a foreigner.
"Noneof the bodies of the nine killed has been identified yet as that of aforeigner. Out of the nine, three bodies have been identified which areof Indians and others' identification process is still going on," hetold reporters.
Pillai said among the injured, four are Iranians, two Sudanese, one Taiwanese, one German and two Nepalese.
TheMaharashtra Police says it's also looking into whether the IndianMujahideen is responsible for the blast. Of the 21 Indian Mujahideenmen the Mumbai police had arrested in July 2008, 11 were from Pune,indicating a strong presence of the outfit in the city. The arrestedIndian Mujahideen men in fact told interrogators of "presence" in Pune,says Maharashtra Police.
A Delhi blast accused and allegedIndian Mujahideen militant Shahzaad is also being questioned in custodyon whether the outfit had sleeper cells in Pune. Sources said Shahzadhas told interrogators the Indian Mujahideen has a presence inMaharashtra but so far, there's nothing on the Pune blast.
Meanwhile,the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police has taken over thecase. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Sunday, Rashmi Shukla,Inspector General, Law and Order, said: "The forensic laboratory hasjust started the investigation, we are waiting for the report regardingmaterial used in explosion. The moment we get the report we will giveyou the details about the blast."
The ATS is investigating the blasts, while the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is looking at Headley link to the blast.
Recent terror attacks in Maharashtra
A general advisory has also been issued by the Home Ministry to all states to be on alert. Home Minister P Chidambaram held a security review meeting in the capital on Sunday. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief him on the Pune blast.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has said that security is being increased in Indore ahead of the BJP National executive meet in Indore which is from 17th-19th Feb.
Meanwhile, the German Bakery blast in Pune has the government facing the same question from both the public and the Opposition: Given that this was seen as vulnerable to a terror attack, was enough done to keep it safe?
Latest reports say at least nine people were killed and 57 injured after a bomb in a backpack exploded in the German Bakery across the road from the Jewish Chabad House and a stone's throw from the Osho Ashram.
Sources have told NDTV that there is a David Headley link to the Puneblasts. Sources say Headley planned the attack and it was executed bysleeper cell.
Terror suspect David Headley had visited the Osho Ashram and stayed ata hotel in the same area in 2008. All this was revealed after Headleywas arrested by the FBI in Chicago in last September. After that, UnionHome Minister P Chidambaram says, Pune's "Koregan Park was on theradar." (Read: 26/11 suspect Headley did recce of blast site)
However,the Home Minister added, "The prayer centre and the Osho Ashram werethe hard targets and a number of security measures were taken by thepolice for these."
Headley, the Pakistan-born American terror suspect, was arrested by the FBI last year. (Read & Watch: Govt had 'non-specific' intelligence: Chagan Bhujbal) | (Watch: Had no intelligence on bakery: R R Patil)
Governmentsources say the Headley link suggests the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), whichorchestrated the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, is most likely behind thePune blast.
A possible Lashkar connection will make it toughfor the Indian government to defend its offer of talks to Pakistan,made last week, and accepted by Pakistan.
In Delhi on Sunday,Opposition leader Arun Jaitley said: "These were Indian pre-conditionsthat as long as Pakistani soil is used for building infrastructure ofterror against India, and till such time there is cooperation in thecontext of 26/11, we cannot talk to Pakistan. The composite dialoguecannot resume. But nothing seems to have changed and the government ofIndia took a U-turn."
The bomb exploded at 6:52 pm on Saturdayevening. "I told my boss there was a red and black colour bag under thetable. He told me go and get it, then somebody else asked for water soI went to get four bottles. That's when the blast happened," said ParasRemal, said a waiter at the bakery. (Exclusive: Key eyewitness' brush with death)
Following the blast, the Home Ministry has advised all citizens of thecountry not to touch any unidentified or unclaimed object or baggage,but report it to the nearest police station. (Read: No intelligence failure in Pune: Chidambaram)
Thebakery itself is a hangout for foreign national tourists and localsalike. The blast occurred was so powerful that it left a 4x6 ft craterin the bakery wall. It was initially reported as a simple LPG cylinderblast. (Watch: Biggest terror act in 14 months, says Chidambaram)
Soonafter, the Home Ministry issued a confirmation from Delhi. "It was abomb blast; it was an IED. It appears that an unattended package wasopened by a waiter and it exploded," said Home Secretary G K Pillai. (Watch the press conference)
The Home Secretary also said that none of the nine persons killed is a foreigner.
"Noneof the bodies of the nine killed has been identified yet as that of aforeigner. Out of the nine, three bodies have been identified which areof Indians and others' identification process is still going on," hetold reporters.
Pillai said among the injured, four are Iranians, two Sudanese, one Taiwanese, one German and two Nepalese.
TheMaharashtra Police says it's also looking into whether the IndianMujahideen is responsible for the blast. Of the 21 Indian Mujahideenmen the Mumbai police had arrested in July 2008, 11 were from Pune,indicating a strong presence of the outfit in the city. The arrestedIndian Mujahideen men in fact told interrogators of "presence" in Pune,says Maharashtra Police.
A Delhi blast accused and allegedIndian Mujahideen militant Shahzaad is also being questioned in custodyon whether the outfit had sleeper cells in Pune. Sources said Shahzadhas told interrogators the Indian Mujahideen has a presence inMaharashtra but so far, there's nothing on the Pune blast.
Meanwhile,the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police has taken over thecase. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Sunday, Rashmi Shukla,Inspector General, Law and Order, said: "The forensic laboratory hasjust started the investigation, we are waiting for the report regardingmaterial used in explosion. The moment we get the report we will giveyou the details about the blast."
The ATS is investigating the blasts, while the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is looking at Headley link to the blast.
Recent terror attacks in Maharashtra
- Nov26, 2008: Over 170 people died and several others injured in coordinateserial explosions and indiscriminate firing across Mumbai including thecrowded CST railway station, two five star hotels Oberoi and Taj.
- Malegaon, Maharashtra, Sep 29, 2008: Five people died after a bomb kept in a motorbike went off in a crowded market.
- September 8, 2006: 30 dead and 100 hurt in twin blasts at a mosque in Malegaon.
- July 11, 2006: Seven bombs on Mumbai's trains kill over 200 and injure 700 others.
- Aug 2004: 52 killed and more than 100 wounded in blasts in Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar.
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