Sandesh Prabhudesai
12 July 2000
The roots of the Maruti van, which exploded in Bangalore on Sunday night killing two persons inside, have been traced by Goa police, establishing a fact that Ibrahim, a chartered accountant who is still surviving with severe injuries, had purchased the Goa-registered car from here two months ago.
Soon after the forensic experts said that the explosives found in the car and the blasts taken place in two churches in Bangalore little later were the same, the Karnataka police had immediately contacted the Goa police to trace the connections of the Maruti van.
The Maruti van, which was initially purchased by one Kalamuddin Aga from Bicholim (interior North Goa taluka town) as a tourist taxi, was attached by the Margao Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd for not paying the instalments.
The bank then auctioned it two months ago, where one Munna from Margao (South Goa district town) purchased it, who in turn sold it to Ibrahim through a professional broker two months ago.
The police have also confirmed that Ibrahim had sought an NOC from the police for transferring the registration from Goa to Karnataka, though it is now found that the new registration was not done till the car exploded.
"It proves that our suspicion about the ISI involvement in the bomb blasts in churches in Goa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is not wrong", says Karnal Singh, the state DIG, though he flatly refuses to disclose any information in this regard.
He also declines to comment on a news report that appeared in section of the national press that a mystery call made from a PCO in Goa holds the key to the serial church blasts that rocked the country.
Sources in the department however disclose that one such call made from the red light area here to Wadei in Karnataka coincides with the bomb blasts taken place at the churches in Vasco and Wadei simultaneously.
The police had reached a conclusion of ISI involvement after shortlisting over 200 STD calls made from different PCOs in Karnataka and Goa, after which the car blast link has proved it once again that they are on a right track. The police is hopeful of making a breakthrough shortly, though presently they are tight-lipped over the issue.
Meanwhile, the state police here has stepped up security around several churches and chapels in the state while also holding meetings of parish priests, telling them about 'Dos and Don'ts' to be followed as precautionary measures, in view of two bomb blasts taken place in two churches in Bangalore.
"We have to be alert as 11 blasts have taken place since 21 May", says DIG Singh. The meetings with the priests in South Goa are already over, to be followed by similar kind of briefings in North Goa, for making them aware of surveillance measures, discussing security lapses and exchanging information.
Even minute details are being pointed out at such meetings including informing the police immediately about any new face in the village, if any mud is excavated, saw dust is seen or even door is seen partially opened in the church premises while also alerting them about dirty ropes or even dusty foot prints.
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