Blasts in Maharashtra, Gujarat; 3 killed

MALEGAON/AHMEDABAD: Two crude bombs hit Malegaon in Maharashtra, killing two and injuring 30, and Modasa in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat killing one and injuring six.

The pattern of attack mirrored the one last Saturday in Mehrauli in Delhi. In both the cases, youth on motorcycles threw a plastic bag containing the low-grade explosives.

Bike blasts near SIMI���s Malegaon office kill 2

Two mysterious blasts in the Bhikku Chowk area of Malegaon killed two people on Monday night and injured 30 others. The wounded were rushed to the nearby Noor Hospital and Faran Hospital. Two of the wounded were reportedly injured when police opened fire to disperse a mob. Three policemen were also reportedly hurt.

The location where the blasts took place also happens to be outside the building where the banned SIMI had its office. It is opposite Nisar Dairy and Bhikku Hotel. A Hero Honda motorbike, which was parked at the blast site, was completely mangled. While senior police officers said they were cylinder blasts, angry local residents insisted that bombs had been set off.

Additional SP (Malegaon) Sanjay Patil said that the explosions took place on a motorcycle. "Soon a huge mob gathered and they pelted stones at the police. We fired five rounds in retaliation. A huge crowd gathered and prevented the police from entering the area. There is tension and we have summoned additional forces. The exact number of injured people cannot be quantified now, but the mob attacked us brutally," a police officer said.

Four companies of the State Reserve Police have been deployed. Malegaon sub-divisional magistrate Ajay More said the situation was tense. "Three policemen, including an IPS probationer Viresh Prabhu, are injured. Prabhu was hit by a stone and has a big gash on his head. We have admitted the policemen to Wadia Hospital," he said.

While some police blamed cylinders for the blasts, other officials said the pattern was similar to the recent Delhi blasts, where two unknown persons came on a motorcyle and flung a bomb in the crowded Mehrauli market.

The Malegaon blasts took place at around 9.30 pm when a Ramzan special prayer was being offered in all mosques across the town. This is the second time that Malegaon has been hit by blasts. Earlier, on September 8, 2006, four bombs had been planted on cycles and went off in the textile town, killing 31 and injuring 297 others. Nine SIMI suspects had been arrested for the 2006 blasts.

Residents of Malegaon alleged that Monday���s blasts were a conspiracy to disturb the law and order situation two days prior to Eid. The blasts took place in the historical Bhikku Chowk area, which is hardly 300 metres from Mushwerath Chowk, where the bombs exploded in 2006.

"I saw people running helter-skelter on the road and youths were taking the injured to the hospital," said Khaleel Ahmed who stays in the vicinity.

The blasts took place in the historical Bhikku Chowk area, which is hardly 300 metres from Mushwerath Chowk, where the bombs exploded in 2006. A chowky of Azad Nagar police station is located hardly 15 metres from the blast site. This area is near Anjuman Chowk, which happens to be Malegoan���s women���s market.

Thousands of women were shopping at the time of the blasts. Bhikku Chowk is located between three mosques. The SIMI office, which is located on the first floor of a building, was functional till the outfit was banned on October 24, 2001. Bhikku Chowk also houses around six tea stalls.

A team of forensic experts from Nashik were reaching Malegaon to gather evidence from the blast site. An Anti-Terrorism Squad team had also reached Malegaon and have started investigations, said ATS chief Hemant Karkare.

One dead in blast in Modasa, Gujarat

In Modasa, about 100 km north of Ahmedabad, the explosion occurred in the Tuka Bazar area around 9.30 pm. The bag exploded as the riders zoomed away.

"There has been an explosion in Modasa town but we are yet to confirm how it took place. The bomb and dog squads have been rushed to the site," District Superintendent of Police R B Bhrambhatt said.

Sabarkantha district collector M Theerasana confirmed one dead but refused to say whether it was a terror attack related to the Ahmedabad serial blasts.

Home Ministry officials including Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta are in touch with senior officials of the Gujarat government and police authorities following today���s blast in Sabarkantha. They are looking into the matter. People should guard against the rumour, said the ministry.

Earlier in the day, seventeen crude bombs were found near the Kalupur Darvaza of Ahmedabad. The bombs found were not sophisticated devices but crude explosives.