Cops look for clues in CCTV footage
Even as the toll in the deadly twin blasts climbed to 16, investigators probing the terror attack are now relying on the 58-minute CCTV footage that was recorded by a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera reportedly installed by a person in the vicinity of one of the blast sites.
Simultaneously, the investigators have also obtained the CCTV footage that recorded the happenings in and around the Sai Baba temple, which could provide some leads in the case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which took over the probe from the city police, are examining the video.
According to sources, the video was captured by a surveillance camera captured on the premises of a house near Dilsukhnagar junction.
The captured images are clear but it is not known whether the police could narrow down on any suspect.
Police have also got the visuals of the CCTV installed near the Sai Baba temple and are verifying them.
“We are hopeful of getting some valuable leads,” sources said.
Though there were reports that the CCTV installed at the Dilsukhnagar junction by the traffic police department was not functioning, sources said the surveillance camera was working.
“It is indeed working and even captured the commotion that took place soon after the blast but the pictures are of no use to the investigators in finding out the perpetrators,” a police officer said.
The cameras recorded the commotion, smoke, subsequent traffic jam and later it went off with power supply being cut off in the area, the officer said.
“These cameras focus on the main road and are to watch the movement of the traffic,” the officer said adding it is almost impossible to come to a conclusion based on its visuals.
Investigators are also trying to come out with some evidence with the help of the video recording of some of the cameras installed in business establishments.
A cloth showroom and a game zone in the vicinity of the blasts have reportedly installed CCTVs and are being verified.
Meanwhile, intelligence sleuths suspect that the actual target of the blasts was the Sai Baba temple premises rather than the roadside eatery and bus-stop.
“Being Thursday, a large number of devotees visit the Sai Baba temple, which is considered as the Dakshin Shirdi, and they might have wanted to target it at the important ‘harathi’ time,” an officer said. But, sleuths said they had to change their plan in the final minute due to increased security at the temple due to the visit of Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma to offer prayers.
Minutes after Anurag Sharma left the place, the high intensity twin blasts took place in Dilshuknagar. Meanwhile, the Saroornagar and Malakpet police registered separate criminal cases with respect to the blasts which claimed as many as 16 lives and left 119 persons injured.
Later, the case was transferred to Crime Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. In a related development, locals approached Chaitanyapuri police and informed that some unknown persons came to their locality after the bomb blasts.
Chaitanyapuri police said the locals alerted them stating some unknown persons came to locality and they moved under suspicious circumstances. According to locals, nearly five persons came to the locality, including two foreigners.
The Saroornagar police registered the case on a complaint by a local of Dwarakapuri Colony, Gaddagolla Anand.
Police registered cases under section 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 326 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons), 307 (Attempt to murder), 302 (murder) 124 (a) (Sedition), 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) read with 120 (b) (punishment for criminal conspiracy), section 3 and 5 of Explosives substances Act 1908 and section 16, 17 of unlawful activities (Prevention) act 1967.
The Malakpet police also registered criminal cases under section 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) read with section 3 and 5 of explosives sub stances Act 1908. It is likely that the NIA will seek to interrogate IM operative Sayed Maqbool, who is presently lodged in a jail in Delhi in connection with the Pune blasts, to know more about his associates in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, forensic experts said that the bombs used in the twin blasts were IEDs and built for causing maximum damage. The forensic experts, in their preliminary report, have said that no RDX was used.
“Ammonium nitrate was mixed in a small quantity of an explosive chemical and packed with iron nails and nuts and bolts and 3 to 9 volt batteries,” they said. Timers were used to trigger the blasts within five minutes of each other.