Roy says Bakery case solved but no comment on Samad’s link

The ATS arrested Samad on Monday in an August,2009,arms seizure case in Mumbai for allegedly providing weapons to Chota Shakeel gang. On Tuesday,the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a press release quoting Chidambaram that Maharashtra ATS with the assistance of Pune police were able to identify Samad from Bhatkal in Karnataka as the prime suspect behind the February 13 Pune blast.

But on the same day,when The Indian Express contacted Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh,who was appointed as spokesperson for briefing the media on Bakery blast case assigned by Chidambaram,he refused to comment. “I cannot speak about it now. I will brief the media later,” Singh said. Rakesh Maria,state ATS chief has also not made any statement before the media about Samad’s role in Bakery blast.

Police sources said top officers were not commenting on Samad’s links in Bakery blast because the evidence against him is being corroborated. “It is a sensitive case. Samad will be arrested after evidence against him is confirmed,” an officer said.

Sources said Samad was identified as the bomb planter from the video footage obtained from the CCTV cameras installed in the German Bakery. Snehal Kharose,daughter of the German Bakery owner,however,said on Friday that so far the police had not called any of the bakery employees to identify Samad.

According to sources,besides CCTV footage,investigators are also working on the mobile calls made by Samad a few days before and after the Bakery blast. Investigators believe that Samad’s brother Yasin Bhatkal,an Indian Mujahideen member now believed to be in Karachi,is also a prime suspect in the bakery blast. Samad’s family,however,claimed he is innocent and was present at a marriage ceremony on the day of bakery blast.