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Delhi blast: Police release suspect's sketch

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The Delhi police today released a computer sketch of one of the suspects allegedly involved in yesterday's bomb blast at the Old Delhi railway station in which twenty people were injured.

The suspect, a young man around 22 years of age was dressed in a grey Pathani suit and was wearing a jalidaartopi, when he was spotted by eye-witnesses at the blast site.

Delhi Police Commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma admitted that there were certain lapses on the part of his department, but maintained that the overall law and order situation in the capital was satisfactory.

Sharma said that the Crime Branch was in possession of some vital clues which could lead them to the accused. "There is nothing to worry. We have tightened security and are carrying out raids to flush out militants from their hide-outs," he assured.

''We have information that some militants are trying to sneak into the capital with a view to create mischief. We have our antennas up and we are going to give them a tough time," he promised.

Sharma conceded that the Delhi police was not able to devote enough time to law and order because of its pre-occupation with VVIP security.

He, however, said the capital was not new to militant violence. "Some of our Special Branch teams have been constantly working on militant-related activities. We have identified some of the areas where these militants come and stay. These are both in Delhi and near its borders.''

He said his department had information that some militants received rifles from gun-runners recently and have been holing out in Uttar Pradesh. ''We are trying to confirm the information. If required we would carry out raids," he said.

When a newsman asked him if the Delhi police had not anticipated the trouble after the recent hijacking, the commissioner of police conceded that they had some information on that score. But they were in the process of tying up the loose ends with the Railway Police when the terrorists struck.

"We have now decided that each and every train leaving or entering Delhi would be thoroughly screened before allowing people to board it. Due care would be taken to ensure that the miscreants do not leave anything in the bogies while the train is at the shunting yard," he said.

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