Terrorism

New Delhi: Delhi Police have confirmed that 30 people have died and over 100 injured in the five serial blasts that rocked the Capital on Saturday evening. All the blasts were of low intensity and crude bombs were used, similar to the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad in July. The injured were rushed to several hospitals including Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Sucheta Kriplani Hospital, Sri Gangaram Hospital and Jassa Ram Hospital.

Of the bomb blasts, the first blast occurred at 6:15 pm at Karol Bagh's Gaffar Market area. Two more blasts ripped the Connaught Place area at 6:30 pm in which one bomb went off at Central Park near Palika Bazar, while the other went off near Gopal Dass Bhavan in Barakhamba Road. At 6:33 pm two more bombs were triggered in the M-Block market of south Delhi's posh Greater Kailash I.

Terror group Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blasts in an e-mail to television channels five minutes before the blasts. The e-mail has been traced to a computer in flat no 201 and 202 in Erick House, 16th Road, Cheetah Camp, Chembur in northeast Mumbai.

The police have interrogated a 12 year old boy who claimed to have seen two men in black clothes placing bombs in dustbins at Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place. Meanwhile, the National Security Guard (NSG) diffused four live bombs preventing any further casualty. The NSG's bomb disposal squad diffused one bomb in the Central Park, one in Regal Cinema and one each at India Gate and Parliament Street.

Condemning the blasts Home Minister Shivraj Patil said, "Anti-national elements have been trying to disturb peace and create panic among the people in various parts of the country. The Government will continue to deal firmly with such elements." He said, "Let us on this occasion deal with the situation with confidence and maintain peace and tranquility and defeat the nefarious design of the culprits." The entire nation has been put on high alert after the bomb blasts.

After holding an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, the Delhi government announced compensation of Rs 5,00,000 to the next of kin of each of those killed and Rs 50,000 to the injured in the serial bombings.

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