Police yet to make headway in Jama Masjid attack probe

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) A year has gone by but police
are yet to make any headway in the probe into the terror
attack outside Jama Masjid here last year, allegedly to take
revenge of the 2008 Batla House encounter, even as security in
the Indian capital has been strengthened ahead of its third
anniversary on Monday.
This year the anniversary comes 12 days after terrorists
struck outside the Delhi High Court exploding a powerful bomb
killing 15 people, including a woman, and injuring over 70
others.
"We have strengthened our security. We are leaving no
chances. However, there in no reason to panic. Extra security
measures have been taken," a senior police official said.
The official said all precautionary measures were taken
in view of the threat perception ahead of the third
anniversary of the Batla House encounter.
Two men had opened random fire outside the Jama Masjid's
Gate No 3 injuring two Taiwanese nationals on September 19
last year while two hours later a car went up in flames after
a "poorly circuited and crudely assembled" device went off.
Last year's attack had come just a fortnight before
Delhi was to host the Commonwealth Games.
Indian Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the
attack saying it was to remember the three members of the
outfit who were killed in the Batla House encounter, exactly a
week after the serial blasts rocked the capital on September
13, 2008.
Police initially attributed the two incidents at Jama
Masjid to "disgruntled youths and local criminal gangs",
ruling out involvement of any organised terror outfit.
The assertion came despite outlawed Indian Mujahideen
claiming responsibility for the strikes and warning of more
attacks ahead of the Commonwealth Games in an e-mail sent to
several media organisations.
However, the next day Delhi Police did a somersault
saying they cannot rule out terror angle and even Delhi Police
Commissioner Y S Dadwal exclaimed "who said that" when asked
about the investigators' stand the previous day.
The Jama Masjid attack had added one more case to the
Delhi Police's list of unsolved terror attack cases.
"There are no leads in this case. We had traced the
email to Mumbai but after that there were no leads," the
official said.
Police had also rummaged through unedited TV tapes
looking for clues in the suspected terror attack at Jama
Masjid while several teams are criss-crossing small towns in
the northern state of Uttar Pradesh looking for leads.
"Till Dusshera (Indian festival), we have to be on high
alert. We will be conducting extra searches. People may get
inconvenienced. But we have to stay alert," the official said.
Over 20,000 armed personnel have been deployed across
the city who are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil by carrying out
searches in the wake of the heightened threat perception.
Checkings are being carried out on vehicles, suspicious
people and premises across the capital, the official said.
Delhi Police has also roped in traffic police and civil
defence personnel to check motorcyclists, DTC buses and keep a
vigil on crowded places.