T K Singh
On a significant day when the nation was busy drawing attention on the union budget presented by the new Indian government on 10 July 2014, a low intensity bomb blast took place in Pune and disturbed the atmosphere of the country. While no outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack and the investigation is underway, authorities are initially perhaps reluctant to consider it as a terror attack. However, the modus operand of the incident (selection of symbolic place, usage of stolen vehicle, chemicals. nut bolts and timers) signifies that the operation was possibly carried out by an experienced outfit active in the city.
The incident was occurred close to the Dadgusheth Halwai Ganpati temple, at a parking area of the Faraskhana and Vishrambag police stations. Reports have suggested that this temple was likely to be attacked by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) on 13 February 2010 when the German Bakery (Pune) was exploded by a powerful bomb on the same day. Attack on holy places or targeting sacred sites has been a common tactics of terrorist in India. Attack on such symbolic location by terror outfit was last observed when series of bombs were exploded in and around the Mahabodhi Temple, Bihar on 07 July 2013. Significant worshiping places attacked in the past include Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer, 11 October 2007; Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, 18 May 2007; Nurani Masjid, Malegaon, 08 September 2006; Jama Masjid, Delhi, 14 April 2006; Sankat Mochan temple, Varanashi, 07 March 2006; Ram Temple, Ayodhiya, 05 July 2005; Akshardham temple, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 24 September 2002.
The explosive that injured five persons on July 10 was planted on a bike stolen from a court premises in Satara, 120 Km from Pune. It belongs to one Dada Rajage who serves in Maharashtra Police and claimed that the motorcycle was vanished on 25 June 2014. Analytically, from the date of bike-lifting, the perpetrators took 15 enough days to orchestrate and execute the operation. While it is under investigation that the bomb was assembled and planted in Satara which has lesser security apparatus than Pune, usage of stolen bike in bomb blast is often occured in India. Earlier on 13 July 2011 a stolen bike was similarly utilised for attacking particularly the Zaveri Bazaar when a series of bomb blasts took place in different parts of Mumbai leaving 26 death and 130 injured. Interestingly, the vehicle used in the recent blast was lifted few days advance and the former (Zaveri Bazzar) was stolen just few hours before the explosions.
The recent explosion directly or indirectly exposed the lapses of security or lack of coordination among the state police stations. The owner of the lost vehicle filed FIR on 27 June 2014, however actions which may help in averting the incident were not taken in time. The effort to trace the vehicle travelling from Satara to Pune through CCTV camera was only initiated post incident. Had appropriate action been taken in advance as early as police received the complain then the terror plot could have been thwarted with the arrest of perpetrators.
Ignoring it as a serious threat, Maharashtra police in its report submitted to the union government on 11 July 2014 emphasised that the attack was not designed to inflict massive causality but could be an attempt by some outfit to illustrate its existence. While the state police (possibly to protect its reputation or cover up security glitches) consider it as a minor strike, however the National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) of National Security Guard (NSG) confirmed that the blast was triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that perhaps could cause severe injuries. The IED was assembled with deadly electronic detonator, digital timer, nine-volt battery, ball bearings, ammonium nitrate and other unconfirmed explosives chemicals in a plastic bag.
The entry of Pune in the terror map of India was not only attributable to the infamous German Bakery explosion (13 February 2010) or Jangli Maharaj Road serial blasts (01 August 2012). The city was earlier known for having a strong presence of Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) extremists in the past, and this band outfit is considered to be the parent organisation of IM. Before IM became in public domain, it allegedly operated as extremist wing (sleeper cell) of SIMI under the aegis of foreign outfit such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The presence of LeT in the city was initially established when three youths were arrested from Pune Cantonment and Kondhwa areas in June 2002 in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bombings that killed above 350 people and injured1200. On 11 March 2001 police arrested one Sajid Sundke, the Pune unit chief of SIMI with four associates for inciting communal riots in Ganj Peth and Ghorpade Peth. Another Mujaheed Geelani, resident of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir suspected to be the key operative in the Mumbai train blast on 11 July 2006 was also surrendered to the Pune police on 27 July 2006. Subsequently, the Maharashtra ATS has busted an IM module in October 2008 by arresting four operatives from Kondhwa area in Pune.
As the city has strong presence of IM and the modus operandi of the attack was similar to the past terror strikes carried out by the outfit, the needle of suspicion points toward IM. Nevertheless, security officials leaving no stone unturned are also finding any connection of the incident with Hindu terror activists and left wing extremists which has the capability of carrying out such attack or making such explosives. While it was fortunate that the attack was triggered by a low intensity explosive which does not claim any live, security establishment may not rule out that the attack could be a dry run for next lethal terrorist target in the same city.
(The author is an Assistant Professor at the Department of National Security Studies in the Central University of Jammu, India.)
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