No nails,no timer,bomb used ghat’s stone slabs for impact

While experts don’t rule out that articles such as battery,wire and timer could have been blown into the Ganga by the force of the blast,a member of the team from Agra’s Forensic Science Laboratory stressed: “One thing is clear,there were no ball or other such articles in the bomb.”Doctors treating the injured.

A different bomb,used ghat’s stone slabs for impact have also not found any signs of wounds caused by metal shrapnels.

The absence of such material means that the experts have little to go on as of now. Contrary to media reports,there is no CCTV footage because there are no such cameras installed at the ghat,which is close to the Sheetla temple from which it derives its name.

The design of the bomb indicates that the those who made and planted the device had examined the site well. The bomb was placed on a staircase made of stone slabs. “They knew that the explosion would automatically convert the stones slabs into projectiles,” said an official.

Incidentally,the attackers also chose that particular area of the ghat where no TV cameras are present recording the Ganga Aarti. The Gangotri Sewa Samiti and Ganga Sewa Nidhi both organise aartis every evening at Sheetla Ghat,adjacent to Dshashwamedh. The Ganga Sewa Nidhi aartis attract bigger crowds and are covered live by a local TV channel,which has a camera permanently installed there. However,the attackers targeted the Gangotri Sewa Samiti aarti site,about a 100 yards away.

Another reason behind the attackers not using metallic objects like ball bearings or nails could be the presence of metal detectors at the entry points of the ghats.

A police officer claimed that the last time a bomb without ball bearings or nails was used,was in the blast on the Shramjeevi Express in July 2005,in which 14 persons died. The police had arrested four men belonging to Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) in the case,and they are facing trial.