Date:13/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091320451400.htm

National

A happy moment for Mumbai police

Special Correspondent

``Verdict shows police did some good work'' "I would have been happier had all members of the Memon family been convicted. All of them had knowledge of the blasts and RDX was filled up from their house... "

Police official who uncovered crucial evidence satisfied

Says initial leads were quickly followed up

MUMBAI: For Y. C. Pawar, who was Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region) in 1993 and who initially investigated the March 12 Mumbai serial blasts, this is a happy moment. The conviction of four members of the Memon family on Tuesday took Mr. Pawar back to the time he was investigating the case.

"I would have been happier had all members of the Memon family been convicted. All of them had knowledge of the blasts and RDX was filled up from their house. There was incriminating evidence found in Tiger Memon's house."

Mr. Pawar, who retired as Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) in 2001, said that at least the verdict showed that the police did some good work. By the time he left the probe a few months later, 47 persons had been arrested including some of the main accused and some very important clues found.

The verdict is satisfying to Arup Patnaik also, who was Deputy Commissioner then. Now Joint Commissioner (law and order) in Mumbai, Mr. Patnaik told The Hindu that as part of the initial investigating team, he too was waiting for the verdict. No one person could take credit for the case, as there were a large number of people involved in the investigation.

Mr. Patnaik initially investigated the three blasts, which occurred under his jurisdiction — the blasts at the two Centaur hotels at Juhu and at the airport, apart from Sea Rock Hotel at Bandra. He said the team was also involved in the seizure of about 1,500 kg of RDX from Mumbra, after a tip-off. This was crucial evidence in the case. He said initial leads were quickly followed up before the case was handed over to the Crime Branch.

Another senior police official said the difference between the 1993 blasts case and the recent ones was that most of the materials had then been brought into the city and dumped in the building where the Memon family lived. Also the people involved were part of the underworld, in any case under the police scanner. As a result, the police had an easier job tracing them.

Now the problem was bombs were assembled separately by individuals, who procured materials from different places. As a result, they did not leave behind a trail. They also had supporters who were not under suspicion for any other illegal activity.