Journalism of Courage
Agencies investigating the low intensity blast are focusing on vehicle thieves after it came to light that the motorcycle in which the explosive was planted was stolen from Satara on June 25.
The motorcycle (MH 11 AK 7174) had belonged to a policeman attached to the Satara police and he had lodged a complaint of vehicle theft on June 27.
Police are zeroing-in on vehicle thieves in Pune, Satara and other places, hoping for information about the person who stole the motorcycle of the policeman, Dada Rajge. Police believe that reaching the motorcycle thief may give important leads about the conspirators. A police officer said they would check CCTV footage of the spot where the motorcycle was stolen in Satara. Cops may also check CCTV footage on toll posts on the Pune-Satara road.
“Conspirators did not tamper with the number of Rajge’s motorcycle while planting IED. So it is being probed whether they purposely stole a policeman’s vehicle or randomly took a stolen bike from the vehicle thief. The possibility of the vehicle thief being connected to the explosion cannot be ruled out,” an officer said.
Investigators pointed out that the arrest of alleged vehicle thief Afzal Usmani in 2008, which revealed details of several Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives in Maharashtra. Usmani was arrested in August 2008 for alleged links to the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Surat. He allegedly provided vehicles to IM for terror strikes.
