The hunt has begun

Two sketches of the suspects were released today based on the account of a Pakistani eyewitness, Rana Shaukat Ali, who has been admitted to Delhi8217;s Safdarjung Hospital. The Indian Express had reported this morning that Ali told officials he had seen two men get into an altercation with an RPF guard on board and had jumped off the train when it slowed down before Diwana railway station.

8220;Both suspects were on the train and were speaking local languages, particularly good Hindi,8221; said Sharad Kumar, IG Rohtak Range. According to the SIT, one of the suspects was 35-36 years of age, plump, dark, had a light moustache and was wearing a jacket, shirt and trousers. The second person was around 26-27, slim and dark and had a muffler.

Panipat police have already alerted the Delhi Police Special Cell regarding the Apollo 600 marking. Investigators believe this could be a a tailor-mark and may just provide the lead they are looking for. 8220;It is apparent that the suitcases were prepared with bombs in Delhi or around and then put on the train. We have asked Delhi Police to check this Apollo 600 lead very closely,8221; SP RPF Ambala, Bharti Arora, who is part of the SIT formed by Haryana Police, told The Indian Express today.

Delhi police officials said they were working on the Apollo 600 clue and were especially screening the Walled City area. Photographs of all objects recovered at Diwana were being circulated to local police stations. These include pictures of the suitcase, bags and bottles used to pack the explosives.

8220;The suitcases appear to be of local make. Chances are that they may have been bought in Delhi itself. It is important for us to know where the terrorists could have bought them,8221; said a senior Delhi police official.

Officials are certain that the explosives were placed on the train before it moved out of Old Delhi railway station. 8220;It was the only place where the explosives could have been loaded. The train did not halt anywhere after it left Delhi.8221;

Haryana police said there are other clues as well: the grey-blue suitcase, which appeared to be of local-make, had a lining with the mark Kodak TM.

An Orpat brand digital clock timer, yellow in colour, has also been found with a batch number mark on its back 8212; TBZ LL 627. 8220;Two wires were put inside the clock as an improvisation. We have contacted the company to find out where this particular batch number could have been sent for sale,8221; said SIT officials. Then there are 14 Geahplet bottles which contained petrol and had sealed tops. 8220;There8217;s cloth inside the bottles, perhaps to spread the fire. The bottles look as if they were being used in a factory 8212; it seems close to 50 bottles were purchased in one go. All 14 bottles are alike. Delhi Police are following up this lead too,8221; said SP Bharti Arora. Two metal pipes have also been found which probably contained the explosive. A connecting circuit with no mark 8212; it appears to be home-made 8212; has also been recovered.

Initial investigations suggest that the attack was a well-planned one and those behind it had done a proper reconnaissance of the journey route, said Sharad Kumar. 8220;An eyewitness has told us that he saw two persons, one with a muffler, arguing with RPF ASI Kashmir Singh. They said their tickets had been checked when the train left Delhi, that they wanted to go to Ahmedabad. Their luggage looked suspicious. The altercation went on for almost 20-25 minutes because the ASI said the train would not stop till Attari,8221; he said.

According to police, the men then said they would get off the train when it slowed down. And they did that at a spot some 20 km before Diwana station. The train slowed down because of some construction work that was going on. 8220;It seems they knew that the train slowed down here, they had done a reccee before. They got off at 11.30 pm and the blast took place 20 minutes later,8221; Kumar said.

Haryana SIT officials said that the coaches were not inter-connected, so the other bombs must have been placed by others. 8220;This seems to have been the handiwork of 4-5 persons. It8217;s not possible for just two persons to place all four bombs in separate coaches. The others could have got off the train when it left Old Delhi station. Witnesses have told us that there were not enough security checks. Those who had come to see off people could sit in the coaches and get off before the train moved,8221; said Kumar.

Only detention

PANIPAT: Haryana SIT officials said they had made no arrest and that the only person detained would be released soon. iquest;We detained Usmaan Mohammad, a Pakistani from Karachi, who said he threw out one suspicious suitcase from the train when blasts rocked the other two coaches. This suitcase was found on the track later and exploded. Usmaan has no role in the blasts, we will be letting him off,iquest; said SP RPF Ambala Bharti Arora.