NEW DEHLI: Terror swept across the Indian capital after a high intensity improvised explosive device (IED), hidden in a briefcase, ripped through a busy crowd outside New Delhi’s High Court on Wednesday, killing 11 people and injuring over 60 at 10.15 am local time.
In the aftermath of the blast, banned terrorist outfit Harkatul Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI) – an al Qaeda affiliate with bases in Pakistan and Bangladesh – claimed responsibility for the attack via email. The militant organisation threatened that if the death sentence of the man convicted of the attack on Indian parliament, Afzal Guru, was not repealed immediately, the group would carry out similar blasts at every major high court in the country — including the Indian Supreme Court.
(Read: Delhi High Court blast)
Meanwhile, Delhi police released two sketches of suspected terrorists involved in the explosion near an entrance gate reception area, where the two-kg bomb dug a crater three-to-four feet deep, when more than 100 people were queuing for passes to the court complex. Police said that one of the suspects was around 26 years-old while the second one was about 50 years-old.
The home ministry has now asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the probe of the incident — marking the first time a terrorist case being transferred directly to the NIA without involvement of the local police.
After the forensic experts conducted detailed chemical tests, the home ministry found that Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) – a well-known explosive – was used in the blast. A team of the National Security Guard (NSG) with three highly-ranked officers visited the Delhi High Court along with forensic experts to find the exact chemicals used in the blast.
Senior officials in the intelligence agencies admitted that they had received credible information on July 10 – three days before the serial blasts in Mumbai – from the Border Security Forces (BSF) about a terrorist module of the HuJI that had entered India from Bangladesh and was planning to carry out blasts in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
“We can confirm the involvement of the HuJI in the Chabad house blast case in Mumbai. The email sent by HuJI is being examined carefully,” said NIA chief SC Sinha.
“A 20-member team of the NIA, under Deputy Inspector General Nitesh Kumar will investigate the Delhi blast,” he added.
The alleged email from the HuJI was sent from email id harkatuljihadi2011@gmail.com.
(Read: India probing bomb claim by Harkatul Jihad Islami)
Sources in the home ministry also said that the NIA would also closely look at the blast which occurred outside the Delhi High Court on May 25 and it will be part of the recent investigations.
While speaking before both the houses, Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told parliament, “Police was on high alert because parliament was in session. Intelligence agencies are constantly sharing intelligence inputs with Delhi police.
“Intelligence pertaining to threats emanating from certain groups was shared with Delhi police in July, 2011. The union government is determined to track down the perpetrators of this horrific crime and bring them to justice,” he said.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was on an official visit to Dhaka, returned late on Wednesday night and went straight to the hospital to visit the injured. He called the attack a cowardly move and said India would not be cowed down by such incidents.
Singh conceded that there were “weaknesses in our security system and terrorists are taking advantage of them”.
“We have to overcome these,” Singh was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency, aboard an airplane taking him home to New Delhi.
Pakistan condemns Delhi bombing
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani condemned the deadly bomb attack and said they hoped those responsible would be brought to justice.
“The Pakistani leadership has expressed their deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the bombing, to the government and people of India,” a foreign office statement read.
“They have expressed the hope that the perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice.”
US deplores ‘cowardly’ attack
The US condemned the “cowardly” bombing and praised the courage of the Indian people “in the face of horrific violence.”
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms this morning’s deadly bombing outside the New Delhi High Court, and extends its deepest condolences to those affected by these cowardly attacks,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.
“The people of India have once again demonstrated remarkable resiliency and courage in the face of horrific violence,” Nuland said.
Nuland said the United States “stands ready to offer any and all assistance to Indian authorities,” and that Washington was monitoring the situation to ensure “the safety and security” of US citizens in India. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM WIRES)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2011.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Zaid Hamid: I like your sense of humour
@Khashatria: Kashmir is a political problem which you expect the army to solve .
Afzal Guru himself has disassociated himself from this attempt to get his death sentence quashed/repealed. Says, he is against killing innocent persons. Of course, the ones he himself killed were guilty, very guilty! But for vote bank politics, he would have been executed way back. This government has been put to shame by Indira Ghandy who executed another Kashmiri "freedom fighter" without batting even an eyelid!
Hang all three, Afzal, Bhullar and Rajeev Gandhi's killers. Do not politicise terrorism. Take all out action wherever necessary.
@gregory: You are right.
@Khashatria: read what i wrote, understand, then reply. If you can't understand leave it.
This is a saazish. Those attackers were wearing saffron undies.
@ Rock
Indian army has done nothing to write home about other than making a complete mess of Kashmir, so I will skeptical on their ability do tackle this threat. So far the terrorists are winning, there has been no headway into the Mumbai blasts a month back and no action is expected after yesterday's blasts either; our govt will keep sitting on its laurels and we the civilians remain sitting ducks.
We need to cleanse our own house rather than pointing fingers. Our worst fears are coming true, the tide of terror has entered India while it subsides in Pakistan.
I hope the NIA knows that Gmail logs IP addresses....that should help!!
It is pathetic that a few terrorists even have the illusion that by bombing courts they can influence justice. This is the level of audacity of the terrorists today - why have the hanging of terrorists been delayed so much - all thanks to the policies of appeasement of the Italian and half-Italians running the country.
HuJI should be assured now that Afzal Guru will be hanged very soon.
@ROCK: ok, but we Indians are not testing materials, kill them all immediately, govt.'s impotency in handling terrorists, terrorist's hatred, religion, are not an excuse.
HuJI thinks indians afraid of them. Cowards, first fight with Indian army not civilians. RIP to all victims. Do I need to tell who will win Some stupid terrorist against 1.21 billion Indians.
Hang all criminals on death row in next 24hrs