Saturday date for Capital again

However, Delhi police does not seem to be ready to believe that it was a 8220;terror strike8221;.

The previous blasts in South Delhi, reported in Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, IIT and Lado Sarai, in the last few years, also took place in the same manner but, earlier, the bombs did not cause much damage. Officials, however, said explosive material used in all the bombs were quite similar and nails were used in earlier bombs as well.

8220;The previous bombs were also made of chemicals and were of low intensity,8221; added a South district police official.

Prior to this, a mysterious blast took place on May 7 this year in Malviya Nagar for which no one was held responsible. It was a low intensity blast in which one person was injured, some cars were damaged and the bonnet of a Mercedes car was blown off. The blast took place in a tin in which tiny nails with explosives were packed.

Police had claimed the blast was caused by some miscreants to create panic in the city.

Prior to the May 7 blast, this year, other than the serial blasts a fortnight ago, three blasts took place, first on January 16, 2008 near IIT Gate, and two consecutive blasts on February 1 at Lado Sarai and Malviya Nagar.

All of them were of same nature, claim the police. A similar blast was reported at the Lado Sarai T-point in July 2005 when at least three vehicles were damaged. Three more blasts took place before that.

8220;In all the blasts, forensic reports suggested that potassium nitrate and other chemicals like used in today8217;s blast at Mehrauli was used and nails were packed in. In all the the blasts, cases were registered under the Explosive Substance Act at various police stations but all of them are still unsolved. We have been making efforts. We checked several chemical shops and questioned many local criminals but nothing came of it,8221; said an official.

As in other such low-intensity blasts, the police denied the role of any terrorist organisation and also there was no intelligence inputs on these blasts including today8217;s.

Freaky Saturday for Delhi:
It is a strange coincidence but all the three major blasts in Delhi in the last three years took place on Saturdays when most markets are crowded. As the blasts shook Delhi again on Saturday, people remembered the serial blasts two weeks ago and the tragic incidents of October 29, 2005 pre-Diwali blasts 8211; both on Saturdays.
8220;I was planning to go out with my family in the evening but would now think twice before planning anything on a Saturday,8221; said Mohit Vats, a software engineer from Outer Delhi.
In Saturday, October 29, 2005 blasts, 61 people were killed on the eve of Diwali three years ago and around 100 were injured.
In September 13, 2008 Saturday blasts, 24 people lost their lives and some 50 were injured while today on September 27 one died and around 30 were injured. 8220;Police should investigate this Saturday connection,8221; added Mohit.
The serial blasts in Ahmedabad also occurred on a Saturday this year 8212; it was July 26. About 45 people were killed in the Ahmedabad blasts.