Cops reconstruct pre-blast scenes to strengthen case

In a bid to lay the groundwork for presenting a strong case in court,backed by solid evidence,teams from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad

In a bid to lay the groundwork for presenting a strong case in court,backed by solid evidence,teams from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Mumbai Police Crime Branch have reconstructed the pre-explosion details of the three blast sites in the July 13 terror attack.

Sources said investigators have obtained a large volume of CCTV footage,beginning a week prior to the blasts,from the sites.

We have footage of seven days from each of the sites and the CCTV footage has good evidential value. We have recreated the scene of the offence,such as where the different vehicles were positioned,identified location of the shops and position of the witnesses prior to the explosion. This will prove important when we present our case before a court and when witnesses depose, said an officer,on condition of anonymity.

Dispelling rumours of a tussle between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra ATS,the officer said both the ATS and the crime branch have been aided to a great extent by the NIAs database on operatives of various terror outfits.

The NIA has an excellent database,and as a nodal agency coordinating between various investigation agencies,it has been providing us valuable information,such as the movements and antecedents of friends and relatives of terror operatives,already arrested in various parts of the country, the officer said.

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