Police arrest Mumbai blasts suspect in Kathmandu

A Nepali man, believed to be in his early 40s, has been arrested from capital city Kathmandu on the suspicion that he had links to this month's serial blasts in Mumbai which killed 24 people and injured nearly 150, Nepal's official media said.

Mohammad Zahir, a resident of Sarlahi district in Nepal's Terai plains near the Indian border, was arrested by Nepal Police's anti-terrorism cell on the basis of intelligence reports, the state-run Gorkhapatra daily reported Tuesday.

The man was said to have been conducting suspicious activities from his rented apartment in Baluwatar, an upmarket area in the capital where the official residence of the Prime Minister is located. He was found to have had phone conversations about the Mumbai blasts as well as sent text messages on his mobile phone, the daily said. It said Zahir was arrested last week but the news was kept secret. Currently, he is in police custody.

There were no immediate comments from police authorities. Three serial blasts rocked Mumbai July 13, causing death and destruction in Zaveri Bazaar, a jewellery hub, the Opera House business district and Dadar.

A terrorist group, the Indian Mujahideen, is suspected to have been behind the attacks. With India and Nepal sharing an open border, Indian authorities have often claimed that several groups planning terror attacks in Indian cities had links in Nepal, either smuggling in firearms and hit men from the Himalayan state or providing logistical support from there.

Mumbai Terror Attack in Pictures

The morning after blasts

Mumbai police officers inspect debris at the Opera House early on Thursday morning.

Home Minister P Chidambaram said the explosive device in Opera house was placed on the road.

A man watches as the body of his relative is put into an ambulance to be taken for last rites in Mumbai on Thursday.

Three coordinated bombings tore through the heart of India's busy financial capital during rush hour on Wednesday.

Indian officials called an emergency security meeting on Thursday to investigate three coordinated bombings that killed 17 people, and injuring hundreds on Wednesday.

People, left, wait outside the morgue of JJ hospital to claim the bodies of their relatives who died in bomb explosions in Mumbai.

Mumbai policemen sit guard behind barricades at Zaveri Bazar, one of the sites of the blasts in Mumbai.

A man carries egg trays near Zaveri bazar, a site of Thursday's triple bombing in Mumbai, July 14, 2011. Police are looking into "every possible hostile group" in their search for the culprits behind the bombing in the heart of Mumbai.

Visibly tired policemen take a break near Zaveri Bazar, a site of Thursday's triple bombing in Mumbai, July 14, 2011.

People who work at Zaveri Bazar, a site of Thursday's triple bombing, wait for the shops to open in Mumbai, July 14, 2011.

A policeman reads a newspaper as others watches near Zaveri Bazar, one of three sites of explosions in Mumbai, July 14, 2011.

An unidentified relative signs forms at the morgue to claim the body of his brother who died in one of the three bomb explosions, in Mumbai, July 14, 2011.

A child looks out from a torn plastic sheet to watch police near Zaveri Bazar, one of three sites of explosions in Mumbai, July 14, 2011. 

A man watches as the body of his relative is put into an ambulance to be taken for last rites in Mumbai, July 14, 2011. 

99% terror attacks stopped: Rahul Gandhi

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that 99% of the terror attacks had been stopped in the country, thanks to various measures, including improved intelligence. Addressing a press conference
in Bhubaneswar, a day after serial bombings in Mumbai killed at least 17 people and injured more than 130, the Congress MP called for efforts to stop terrorist attacks in the country.

"It is very difficult to stop any single terrorist attack," he said, adding that 99% of the attacks have been stopped. "We must stop 100% attack." Referring to Wednesday's attack, Gandhi said the response of the government was prompt.

"We are responding to it in a quite organised fashion." Gandhi, the son of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is on a two-day visit to Orissa beginning Wednesday to strengthen the grassroots base of the party.

He returns to New Delhi on Thursday.

CCTVs reveal vital info about Mumbai serial blasts: Maha C.M.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that the security cameras installed around the blast sites in Mumbai have given very crucial information and they are being examined and analysed.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister has also said that the state Home Minister RR Patil informed the Cabinet on the investigations in Wednesday's blast.

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday held a special meeting to discuss the fallout of Wednesday's bomb blasts. The state Cabinet discussed about the medical facilities of the injured. Security post 26/11 was also discussed.

Terror struck Mumbai once again on Wednesday when three bomb blasts rocked some of the most crowded places of the city killing at least 17 people and injuring 131 others.

The first blast took place at 6:54 PM at south Mumbai's crowded Zaveri Bazaar. Within a few minutes Opera House and Dadar, too, were hit by powerful explosions.

Wednesday's blasts took place just two days after the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai serial train blasts on July 11, 2006 in which at least 186 people were killed. The blasts also evoked horrific memories of serial
blasts in the past as both Dadar and Zaveri Bazar have been targeted earlier too.

Mumbai Terror Attack: Vehicle blasts kill the most in Zaveri Bazaar

Zaveri Bazaar, the city’s densely crowded jewellery market, was bustling with activity at 6.45 pm on  wednesday evening when the first of the blasts that struck Mumbai went off, leaving seven dead and at least 17 others injured.

The bomb was strapped to a Hero Honda motorbike, parked outside the well-known eatery, Mohan Puddlawala.

Within five minutes, around 6.50 pm, another bomb exploded, this one strapped to a scooter.

The twin blasts at Zaveri Bazaar have caused the worst casualty compared to the explosions at Dadar and Opera House. The blast shattered windowpanes in several shops, so many people had shard injuries.

Brothers Saiful and Ahmed, who live in a building close to the spot where the first blast occurred, said: "We initially thought that an LPG cylinder had exploded in the restaurant that occupies the ground floor of our building. We rushed out and only then realised that it was a bomb blast."

Even before the police and other agencies arrived, locals had rushed to help, and many of them took the injured to the hospitals closeby. A local, who identified himself only as Mustafa, was completely soaked in blood.

“I managed to drive two injured people to GT Hospital on my bike," he said. The police, the disaster management team, the quick response team, the paramilitary force, the bomb disposal squad and the fire
brigade all reached the scene of the blast within minutes.

Vijay Shah, a shopkeeper from the area, is anxious as he had sent his 25-year-old delivery boy out in the area for some work. “I am worried as he is not responding to my phone calls. I am afraid as he stopped responding after the blasts.”

Several politicians also hurried to the area. Local BJP leader Raj Purohit said: "This is the third attack in Zaveri Bazaar. South Mumbai, and particularly Zaveri Bazaar, is the economic heart of the city. This is where
some of the highest gold and diamond trading takes place. Terrorists have found a way of destabilising the city by attacking at a place where it hurts the most: the economic hub."

Mumbai serial blasts were coordinated terror attack: P Chidambaram

Union home minister P Chidambaram said
on Thursday that Wednesday's Mumbai
blasts were coordinated terror attack and
that all groups that are capable of carrying
out such blasts are suspects. The home
minister said that the government did not
have any intelligence inputs about
Wednesday's
blast with central and state agencies.
Ammonium nitrate with timer devices were
used in the IEDs in Mumbai, Chidambaram
said. It was not a remotely triggered blast
and the Dadar blast was a low intensity one,
he added.
He put the death toll at 18 and said that the
number of injured stand at 131 including 23
who are seriously in Wednesday's blasts.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithiviraj Chavan
announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for
families of blast victims.

Anger on the streets of Mumbai after serial blasts

Witnesses recal the horror of the
triple blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday
evening at Dadar, Zaveri Bazar and Opera
House. The three most crowded business
districts in the city were targeted at peak
office leaving times between 6:50 pm and
7:05 pm, leaving scores dead and injured.
An eye witness Hemant said, "the sight was
something so bad that unfortunately no one
who saw it live will forget it."
Scenes at the hospitals were heart rending
as anxious relatives flocked to various
hospitals searching for their loved ones.
"I cried so much at first, but then I realised I
should be handling the situation instead of
crying," said a relative.
The blasts came exactly 5 years and 2 days
after the 7/11 train blasts. With Mumbai
being targeted time and time again, anger
on the streets was clearly on the rise.
"Every second we are afraid something will
happen," said a Mumbaikar.
Another Mumbaikar said, "When Indians
come together and show these terror
outfits are strength, then they will that India
is India."
Though the emergency response system
seemed to have improved this time,
Mumbaikars are asking when the system
will be equipped enough to prevent such
terror attacks.

Mumbai blasts: Three blasts rock Mumbai, 21 killed, 141 injured

Terror has struck Mumbai once again killing
at least 21 people and injuring more than
hundred. Two days after the fifth
anniversary of the 7/11 serial bombings,
three explosions rocked the Maximum city
once again.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar
said at least 21 people were killed and over
100 injured in the attacks.The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed a
terror plot and said that Improvised
Explosive Devices had been used in the
blasts. It had said at least 20 people had
been killed in the attacks and 113 others
injured.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj
Chavan had earlier said thirteen people
were killed and 81 hurt in the attacks. He
said the police officials had reached the
spot, adding he was in constant touch with
Home Minister P. Chidambaram. He
appealed to the Mumbaikars to maintain
calm. The home minister leaves on
Wednesday night for Mumbai.
The MHA said the leads pointed to the Indian
Mujahideen's hands.
Mumbai Police are questioning two IM
members, who had been arrested on
Tuesday. Internal Secretary, Home Ministry,
UK Bansal said the attacks at dense areas
were intended to cause maximum damage.
All the blasts occurred at Mumbai's crowded
market places in the peak rush hour. The
explosions occurred at Zaveri Bazar, Dadar
and Opera House between 6:45PM and 7PM.
The first blast took place in south Mumbai's
Zaveri Bazaar, near the famous Mumbadevi
temple. Four to five cars have been badly
damaged.
The second bomb went off in a taxi in
Dadar's Kabutar Khana area, a stone's throw
distance from Dadar railway station. The
number of that taxi is MH-43 A 9384. Two
people are said to be in the taxi. They have
been injured in the blast. Police have also
recovered a tiffin box from the area.
The third explosion occurred at the Opera
House building next to Pancharatna
Diamond Market. The blast took place in the
Prasad Chamber of the building.
According to JJ Hospital, 10 people have
been brought from the Zaveri Bazar blast
site. One of them has been confirmed dead,
while nine others are seriously injured.
All mobile networks have been jammed in
the blast areas.
While Chidambaram chaired a high-level
meeting in Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh spoke to Chavan to stock of the
situation.
Chidambaram said all the injured had been
evacuated. "The explosions took place
within minutes of each other, hinting at the
co-ordinated terror attacks," he said,
appealing for calm. He said the Home
Ministry will issue statements on every two
hours.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik,
on being asked if it was a terror attack, said,
"I believe so."
Union Home Secretary Raj Kumar Singh has
spoken to the DGP of Maharashtra. An NIA
team has been rushed to Mumbai for probe
into the serial blasts.
Bomb investigation unit of the NSG and a
forensic team of CFSL are also being sent to
Mumbai. High alert has been sounded in 14
cities including Delhi, with Delhi Police
spokesperson saying, "We are keeping eye
on the situation in Mumbai." The quick
reaction team of the Army has been put on
standby.
Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal
advised people to stay indoors.

Leaders condemn Mumbai serial blasts

Leaders from all political parties
have condemned the serial blasts that
rocked congested areas of Mumbai
Wednesday evening, killing at least 20
people and injuring over 100.
The blasts took place in three areas of south
Mumbai - near Kabutarkhana in Dadar West,
Zaveri Bazar and Opera House, the jewellery
hubs of Mumbai - around 7 p.m.
Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan
condemned the near-simultaneous
explosions causing loss of life and injuries
to innocent citizens.
Sankaranarayanan, who was in Delhi,
rushed back to Mumbai on hearing the
news.
In a statement issued here, he said: "The
news of terrorists striking in the commercial
capital of India in the rush hour of the
evening today is shocking and shows the
desperate levels the terrorists have
stooped."
"I convey my sympathies to the families of
the victims of the blasts and wish speedy
recovery to the injured," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the
Nationalist Congress Party assured of
thorough investigation into the blasts and
appealed to Mumbaikars to not pay heed to
rumours and stay alert.
"Help will be extended to all victims in all
possible manner. However, it is still early to
tell the hand behind the blasts," he said.
Opposition leader Eknath Khadse of the
Bharatiya Janata party condemned the
attacks. "I sympathise with the relatives of
those killed and injured," he said.
State president of Samajwadi Pary Abu Azmi
said: "Police should be strict in investigating
the bomb blasts that have killed many and
injured more than 100 people," he said.
Azmi appealed to people not to make a
communal issue out of the blasts and help
each other and police in bringing the guilty
to books.
"The blasts should not be associated with
any specific religion or community. The
police should also not catch hold of those
who are not guilty for the crime," Azmi said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said: "It is
unfortunate and disgusting. I strongly
condemn the blasts."
Former minister of state Gurudas Kamat also
condemned the attacks and said that the
guilty should be brought to book as soon as
possible.