Bomb defused in Surat, 3 'held' with lakhs in cash

New Delhi: The police defused a live bomb from below a transformer in Varachha locality of Surat on Monday, a day after material to trigger explosions were found in two places in the city.

Investigation into the Ahmedabad serial blasts, which killed at least 49 people and injured 200, currently focuses on three persons who were detained on Monday while travelling in a ‘Wagon R’ car from Surat to Surendranagar. British currency amounting to Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 85,000 was found concealed beneath the car seats.

Investigators have found that the two abandoned cars packed with a large quantity of explosives and found in Poonagam and Hirabaug areas of Surat on Sunday were stolen from Navi Mumbai near Mumbai.

Another abandoned car found after the blasts at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital was also stolen.

Three arrests

Abdul Halim, a suspected member of the outlawed Students Islamic Movment of India (SIMI), arrested in connection with the serial bombings in Ahmedabad was on Monday remanded in 14 days' police custody.

Halim is the first to be arrested in connection and the Crime Branch of the Gujarat Police alleges he is a conspirator in terrorist activities.

He was wanted in connection with the communal violence of 2002 and a case was registered against him in 2003-04. Halim, who was arrested Halim from Danilimda area of Ahmedabad on Sunday, allegedly acted as an operator for a terror outfit and helped send men to Pakistan and Bangladesh for terrorist training.

He was wanted in connection with the communal violence of 2002 and a case was registered against him in 2003-04. Police say they have no evidence to link him with the Ahmedabad blasts, but expect him to provide leads as was allegedly recruiting disgruntled Muslim youth to join jehadi groups.

The police conducted raids in various parts of Ahmedabad and nearly 30 people have been taken into custody so far.

In Tamil Nadu, the police have arrested two suspected terrorists in connection with the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Qazi Rahim, 31, and K Abdul Kader, 27, were being taken to Tirunelveli for further questioning.

(With inputs from IANS)