'Probe into Hubballi rly station explosion intensified'

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the investigation into the low-intensity explosion at Hubballi railway station had been intensified.

“Samples of the explosive are sent to the FSL. Such explosives are used more in Andhra Pradesh. The investigation is being held to trace the origin and destination of the explosives found in a train, and the motive behind it,” he told media persons here on Wednesday.

When asked about the possibility of terror sleeper cells being active in the state, he said that both Central and state probe agencies were investigating the matter.

Security lapse

South Western Railway (SWR) general manager A K Singh admitted that lapse by the RPF staff was prima facie in the blast case.

SWR chief security commissioner is conducting a fact-finding exercise into the issue of suspected material not properly secured by the RPF staff, immediately after it was found. Based on the report, action would be taken against the guilty, Singh said.

Government Railway Police (GRP) DySP B B Patil,
who is leading the probe, said that teams had been sent to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to collect information.

Blast & Ayodhya verdict

Meanwhile, Sri Ram Sene founder-president Pramod Muthalik has urged the
Centre and the state government to take the ‘minor blast case’ at Hubballi railway station seriously, as he believes that the incident was part of the large terror network, which wishes to create disturbance in the country on the
eve of Ram Janmaboomi verdict.

The firebrand Hindu leader told reporters, “There has been a pattern in the ‘terror’ incidents that have taken place across India ever since the Supreme Court completed hearing on Ram Janmaboomi dispute.”

He claimed that 24 Hindu leaders, including Kamlesh Tiwari, have been killed in the last 11 days across India.