Bicycle suspected to have been used in Pune blasts being taken to forensic lab. Image courtesy: Mid-day.com
Unwilling to take chances with bicycles after the recent explosions in Pune and the 2008 blasts in the Rajasthan capital, police have asked all bicycle shop owners here to take identification proof from buyers and send the document to law enforcement agencies.
Jaipur Police Commissioner BL Soni issued the orders to shop owners on Thursday. Bicycles were used to plant the explosives in Pune, where one person was injured, and also in the Jaipur serial blasts of May 13, 2008, in which 71 people were killed.
In the 2008 blasts, brand new bicycles laden with explosives were parked at nine places in the Walled City area.
"It has been seen in some recent terror strikes that terrorists tend to buy bicycles, plant bombs on them and then park these at inconspicuous places in crowded markets," a senior police officer told IANS.
Investigations into the Jaipur serial blasts, he added, revealed that nine terrorists came to Jaipur from Delhi in a Volvo bus, purchased bicycles from Kishanpole Bazaar here and planted explosives in them the same day. Timer watches were used to trigger the blasts.
"The special investigation team (SIT) which was formed to probe the serial blasts had prepared sketches of the terror suspects on the basis of description given by bicycle shop owners. It proved quite vital in the probe," said the officer.
The officer said that when it came up that new bicycles had been used in triggering Pune blasts also, it was decided to bind down the shop owners in Jaipur to take an identification proof from a purchaser.
"These identification documents may come in handy while investigation into any terror activity in the future," the officer added.