Mumbai ATS as says Pune blast was a 'prima facie' a terror attack

Pune: The low-intensity blast in Pune yesterday that left five people injured was “prima facie” a terror attack, Maharashtra ATS said today and registered a case against unknown persons in connection with the incident.

“Prima facie the blast seems to be part of a terrorist attack. In this connection a case has been registered with Vishrambaug police,” a brief statement issued by the Anti-Terrorism Squad said.

A case has been registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), besides various sections of the Explosives Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The ATS has formed ten teams to crack the case in coordination with the district police.

The statement said evidence collected from the blast site has been sent for chemical and forensic examination and reports are awaited.

Statements of eye-witnesses are being recorded, it added.

A team of the National Security Guard(NSG) also inspected the scene of explosion which has been cordoned off.

There was, however, no official word on whether the investigators have been able to get clues about the perpetrators from CCTV footages being examined by the police or the kind of explosive used to trigger the blast.

The blast caused by an IED planted in a motorcycle at Faraskhana police station’s parking lot had left five injured, including a police constable. The motorbike was stolen from a policeman posted in Satara some time back.

Faraskhana police station is located close to Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple, which has been on the terrorists’ radar for quite some time.

In 2010, a suspected Indian Mujahideen(IM) operative Qateel Siddiqui had made a failed attempt to plant a bomb there. He was found strangled to death in Yerawada Central Jail in June 2012.

PTI