No breakthrough,PC offers to transfer 13/7 probe to NIA

Chidambaram had visited Mumbai on September 13,exactly two months after the three blasts hit Mumbai,and sought that the case be transferred to the NIA. The state government had then prevailed upon him to not shift the investigation and said its probe was on the right track.

During the Monday meeting,Chidambaram sought an update on the probe. In an indication of the pressure on the state agencies,senior government officials said “we will crack the case before his next visit”.

Home Minister R R Patil said the investigation was reviewed and Chidambaram has been informed about the progress repeatedly. “We have sought some details and help for the probe in terms of tracking suspects and locations. It is not a new request. He had been briefed last month,four days ago and again yesterday,” said Patil.

Senior police officers in the loop claimed the ATS is very close to making the first arrest. They have “complete knowledge” of the entire plot and the group and are even closely guarding the identity of persons they want.

“A terror blast is no longer just a state subject. It concerns the nation and in that respect a Home Minister is entitled to drop in any time to ask for a review. The probe is like a complicated jigsaw. If the state police takes any more time to finish,he can at any stage ask for another agency to support the state. Such decisions are not in our hands,” said a senior official. “For both agencies,it is about nailing the motive and the people who caused it. It’s not about who is handling the case. If they (NIA) crack it or ATS cracks it,should it not it be about getting the results? For now the investigation is in safe hands.”

Sources revealed that the ATS has zeroed in on the group responsible for the blasts and that some suspects were picked up in early September. They are being grilled continuously by ATS to piece together details of how the blasts were executed,they said.

Sources also said that the ATS is unwilling to publicise any initial breakthroughs as it had also identified some other key suspects who were still at large. It is wary of jeopardising efforts to nab them by going public with the leads.

Addressing the media on September 7,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan initially said that some arrests had been made,but the names of those arrested were being withheld to not hamper the investigations. However,on being quizzed about the arrests,Chavan quickly corrected himself saying there had only been detentions in the case.