German bakery blast probe: ATS, forensic experts claims differ

In its charge sheet, ATS claimed that wanted accused Mohsin Chowdhury and Yasin Bhatkal and arrested accused Himayat Baig went to Mumbai to purchase a sack and a Nokia 1100 model mobile phone which was subsequently used as a triggering device to cause the bomb explosions.

According to the charge sheet, the explosives were planted in the sack and kept at the German bakery at 1700 hours on February 13, 2010. "...the bomb subsequently exploded at 18.50 hours triggered with the help of mobile alarm triggering device thereby causing death of 17 people and seriously injuring 56," the ATS claims in the charge sheet.

This set alarm bells among the investigators including the National Investigating Agency (NIA) as no forensic tests had shown any presence of a mobile phone from the scene of the blast.

Repeated queries to the ATS by other probe agencies for providing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number did not fructify. The ATS had now informed the Pune court that it would be submitted a fresh set of documents before it on February 22. Baig's counsel A Rehman also said that there was no mention of any mobile phone in the forensic tests.

After sensational disclosure of Swami Aseemanand that Malegaon blasts of 2006 were carried out by right wing terror groups, eye-brows have started appearing in connection with the ATS investigations in the Pune bakery blast.

Last week, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had termed the case as "unsolved" along with the blast cases in Delhi's Jama Masjid area and Varanasi. Asked whether the investigations into the German bakery case were complete, Pillai said, "Still it is unsolved.." and added that the modus operandi used in the Pune blast was different from that in Varanasi and Delhi.