Pune Blast: Suspects arrested

[Singh]

At least eight people were killed and over 30 injured in a suspected bomb blast in a popular bakery in Koregaon Park which also houses a Jewish prayer house and the Osho Ashram in Pune this evening.

The blast took place at the German Bakery, an old business establishment, at around 1830 hours.

"There was a bomb blast. There have been eight deaths and 33 people were injured", said Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Rajendra Sonwane.

"It is a suspected bomb blast. So far, it is not confirmed. We are verifying this", he said adding "we have not arrived at any conclusion at this stage but prima facie it appears that it is a bomb blast".

A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad and bomb disposal squad visited the spot to ascertain the nature of the blast.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said it was yet to be established as to what was the cause of the blast. He said he had talked to the Police Commissioner who told him that unless they examined the evidence on the scene of the blast they cannot come to any conclusion.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/Eight...injured-in-Pune-blast/H1-Article1-508520.aspx

 

[Daredevil]

RIP to the deceased.

And there you go the success of Aman Ki Asha.

 

[GokuInd]

RIP to the deceased.

And there you go the success of Aman Ki Asha.

Their behaviour is deflecting and pusillanimous. There can never be such thing as peace at any cost. All that Aman Ki Asha hullaballoo good for nothing.

 

[johnee]

RIP to the deceased.

And there you go the success of Aman Ki Asha.

Its master stroke by Paks. They attacked foreigners, so the blast will get noticed and the threat perception may increase. It can have effect on business, tourism and even sports(IPL comes to mind). The timing seems to be bring pressure on GOI to stop talks. What will GOI do, now? Talk? Is GOI prepared to talk regardless of the number of Pakistani attacks on India? If GOI stops the talks or even delays them then the Paks will claim victory in international fora.

Then another angle: what happens to people like SRK who sympathised with Paks? Will shivsena not claim the victory now? Will people still support SRK's stand?

All the Aman ki Asha has gone down the drain. Public mood is already hostile to Paks and there is vent for them to express their feelings. How long will Govt and media ignore this public sentiment?

Basically, with one blast Paks have exposed the innumerable inconsistancies in India's Pakistan policy.

Lastly, it pains me to say, " RIP to the deceased and sympathies to their families." Can such words mean anything to victims? I doubt it. The victims' sorrow is huge, mere sympathies from Govt, media or people wont be enough. But what else can anyone do? Is there no other way but to live with Pakistan sponsored terror?

 

[Rage]

Apparently, officials suspect(ed) a cylinder blast, so sayeth atleast one official from the Maharashtra State Police.

Although, now they're saying "3-5 kg of IED" was discovered at the site.



NIA, CBI teams sent to Pune

February 13th, 2010 - 11:42 pm ICT by IANS

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The government Saturday rushed a team of National Investigating Agency (NIA) and forensic experts of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to assist the investigations into the German Bakery blast in Pune.

Home Ministry sources said that the investigating teams have been sent to Pune.

The ministry also sent an advisory to the states asking them to be on high alert in the wake of the Pune blast. People have been asked not to touch any unidentified objects.

Home Secretary G.K. Pillai convened a meeting of senior officials at his residence to review the situation in the wake of the blast, the first incident of this nature after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives.


http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/nia-cbi-teams-sent-to-pune_100319752.html

---


The bakery is popular not just with the Osho-manics, but with the dozens of thousands of int'l students in Pune as well. Something like this is bound to affect student inflows.

Small place, but always bustlin'.

 

[Flint]

Looks like another "blow" to non-existence "Peace process".

 

[ajtr]

first of condolences for the bereaved families.RIP.Well this attack was just waiting to happen after all these JUD rally in POK even after being banned by UN and pakistan cocking a snook at india with this blast to wriggle out of talks. now the talks have started.what we gonnna hear now sample this:
1.Pakistan is also a victim of terror.we suffer more 26/11 and pune.
2. terrorists" are trying to thwart India TSP peace process.
3.May be these are all hindu taliban.india must reign its hindu terrorist.
4. I hope this incident wont affect the composite dialogue and people to people contacts between south asian superpowers..
.
.
.
.now pakistan truly emboldened by the weakness and rudderless GOI.I hope This govt dont turn out to be Gorvochave govt of USSR in 1980s.

 

[ajtr]

This was threatened at the JUD rally where Abdur Rehman Makki, deputy to JuD leader Hafiz Saeed, explicitly pointed out pune,kanpur delhi as fair target in muzafarabad rally on feb 5. German bakery is based in defence area near osho ashram. Osho Ashram one of the recee sites of david Headley(aka daood gilani). It was reported that there is Jewish establishment near to Osho Ashram. Any Jews frequent this location?

JuD vows to take Kashmir by force

ISLAMABAD: A day after Islamabad said it was seeking a clarification from New Delhi on the agenda for the proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks, the Jamat-ud-Dawah, front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attacks, held a public meeting here vowing to seize Kashmir by force and threatening “rivers of blood” in India.

In Lahore too, the JuD organised a public rally, led by Hafiz Saeed, alleged by India to have masterminded the Mumbai attacks.

The rally went from the JuD headquarters in Chauburji to the University Grounds, where Mr. Saeed led the participants in Friday prayers.

It proceeded to the famous Masjid-e-Shohada on Mall road, where the second tier leadership of the group made anti-India speeches. However, Mr. Saeed did not speak at the public meeting.

The meetings were held alongside other country-wide events to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, annually observed in Pakistan on February 5. The JuD rally in the capital was held at Aabpara chowk in the heart of the city, a short walk from the barricaded headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

The JuD is on the United Nations terror list as a front of the LeT, but Pakistan has not banned the group. This is the first time after the Mumbai attacks that the group has come out openly, dropping last year’s cover of “Falah-i-Insaniyat”.

The government, which took some steps against the JuD and placed Hafiz Saeed under house arrest days after the Mumbai attacks, seems to have given it a long rope now.

Friday’s meetings in Islamabad and Lahore followed the one on Wednesday in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

In the capital, it was not a crowded meeting, the cold and steady drizzle dampening enthusiasm for the event, but the speakers more than made up for this. Banners and posters with the JuD ensignia were found everywhere.

“Whenever our jihad in Kashmir nears success, India becomes ready for talks,” Abdur Rehman Makki, deputy to JuD leader Hafiz Saeed, told his audience, mostly traders from the local market, students from madrasas and JuD activists bussed in from Rawalpindi.

“But what is this dialogue all about? [Former President Pervez]Musharraf tried dialogue for eight years. What did he get? What did Pakistan get? A ban on Lashkar-e-Toiba, while Shiv Sena is allowed to go free,” he said.

India and the U.S. were trying to make the Kashmir cause a part of the “war on terror,” he said, but if India did not pull out its troops from there, “each one of the 17 crore Pakistanis would struggle step-for-step with the Kashmiris in the massacre of Indian soldiers until the last soldier is dead.”

The JuD, he said, “is a reality of Pakistan, and anyone who tries to finish it will not succeed.”

Mr. Makki also railed against the United Nations and the U.S. “Ban us all you like. It is meaningless. It is no more one Hafiz Saeed, every citizen of Pakistan will fight for Kashmir until the last drop of his blood,” he said.

He warned that jihadis were ready to fill the Ravi river with “blood on the water” to avenge what he alleged was India’s denial of river waters to Pakistan.

“Kashmir had become a cold issue. But by denying Pakistan water, India has ensured that every farmer in Punjab is lining up with his tractor and plough, ready to overrun India.”

At one time, jihadis were interested only in the liberation of Kashmir, but the water issue had ensured that “Delhi, Pune and Kanpur” were all fair targets, he said.

A string of other JuD speakers praised jihad, and urged Pakistanis to take to it in “Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine.” The Pakistan People’s Party came in for its share of criticism for straying from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s promise of a “100-year war” for Kashmir.

The Pakistan Muslim League (N) spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq, and Sardar Khalid Ibrahim of the “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” Pakistan People’s Party also spoke. at the meeting.

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

Sad day today but hope lesson's are learnt quick and fast. I was always feeling that after 26/11 we created a lot of security around Mumbai but I was wondering if we did anything for cities like Pune. I am out of Pune for a while so cannot say anything, hope this incidence will get some attention for Pune.
I have a suggestion and question both, why not India use its resources to get people like Hafiz Saeed Killed, is it that difficult? Why can't we give supari to some rogue element in Pakistan?

 

[Super Commando Dhruva]

This attack was certainly aimed at India-Pak dialogue since Pak committed a diplomatic suicide by terming Indian peace talk move as India's cowardliness. It wasn't enthusiastically perceived in the west and surely put Pak stand as a petulance child. They wanted India to back down and perceive India as regional arrogant bully. Doing so will give Pak an excuse to keep its core regiments in the east and will slow down elimination of its strategic depth by its own hands. US will reiterate like a broken record "Do more.... Do more .... Do more". In the meantime, all the aid money keeps flowing.

Either way, Pak will succeed in ending the composite dialogue as domestic pressure will pursue NDA govt to abort and all this "hoo-hah" over aman ki asha will be send to oblivion.

India should do a deja-vu of 26/11 and collect all evidence and send it to western governments. Embarrass pak worldwide and remove camouflage from Non-State actors.

However, plethora of blame also goes to our paper pushing, Ghutka spitting babus who are not willing or not able to work enough perhaps due to their reluctance, “haramkhori” or overweight/ High BMI ratio “sarkari” bodies. Not to mention egoistic tug of war beween R&AW and IB.

NIA and CBI sleuths are going on scene. Hope they find something concrete on crime site other than wasting tax payer’s money.

RIP to the dead.

 

[Agantrope]

I can smell something fishy here. after 2001 parliament attacks, 2008 Mumbai attcks, 2010 pune attack all are similar pattern. The first instance we stopped the dialouge so they became comfortable and moved their troops in the western front to eastern, Now they want to expect to do the same.
Please read the below article

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...Afghanistan-offensive/articleshow/5567952.cms

also

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/S...violate+ceasefire+along+border+yet+again.html

They in desperate mood to save the taliban and want them to fall back in the pak territory and now if we stop the composite dialogue the NATO forces in the Astan will be screwed since this is the largest operation since 2001.

We can talk with them, some BS aout Senas, SRK, IPL matches etc, what we nee to continue the talks until the taslibans are screwed. If we maintain our usual gesture for one more time it can happens. Then we can take of that f***** bas****s

 

[ajtr]

PUNE'S PAST JIHADI CONNECTIONS

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM MONITOR---PAPER NO 617


B.RAMAN



Eight persons are reported to have been killed and 40 others injured in a suspected bomb blast in the well-known German bakery of Pune, which is often frequented by foreigners visiting Pune. The city also reportedly has a Chabad House, a Jewish cultural-cum-religious centre. Further details as to whether it was an act of terrorism, what kind of explosive was used etc are awaited.



2. Pune as a possible centre for jihadi activities came to notice in March 2002, when Abu Zubaidah, the then No.3 to Osama bin Laden, was arrested by the Pakistani authorities acting at the instance of the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in the house of an activist of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET) at Faislabad in Pakistani Punjab and handed over to the FBI. He is now in the Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre in Cuba. Sections of the Pakistani media had reported at that time that Abu Zubaidah, a Palestinian, had studied computer science in Pune before crossing over into Pakistan and joining Al Qaeda.


3.In September-October,2008, the Mumbai Police had arrested four IT-savvy members of the Indian Mujahideen ( IM), who had played a role in sending E-mail messages in the name of the IM before and after the Ahmedabad blasts of July,2008, and before the New Delhi blasts of September,2008, by hacking into Wi-fi networks in Mumbai and Navin Mumbai. Three of them were from Pune. The four persons were:

* Mohammed Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy aka Munawar aka Mannu. A 31-year-old resident of Pune, who was allegedly working for an American Internet company in its India office as a well-paid executive.
* Mubin Kadar Shaikh, a 24-year-old graduate of computer science from Pune.
* Asif Bashir Shaikh, a 22-year-old mechanical engineer from Pune. In addition to helping in sending the E-mail messages, he also reportedly played a role in planting 18 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Surat, all of which failed to explode.
* Mohammed Ismail Chaudhary, a 28-year-old computer mechanic, who is also suspected to have helped in planting the IEDs in Surat.

4. Peerbhoy was reported to have joined the IM while he was studying Arabic in Pune's Quran Foundation, which seems to have served as a favourite recruiting ground for jihadi terrorism. In this connection, reference is invited to my note titled INDIA AS POSSIBLE WEB OF CYBER TERRORISM at http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers29/paper2873.html

5. Pune and its Chabad House again figured prominently in recent media reports of the visits to India by David Coleman Headley of the Chicago cell of the LET presently facing trial in Chicago on charges of helping the LET in carrying out the 26/11 terrorist strikes in Mumbai by collecting operational details about the targets to be attacked. Pune was one of the places reportedly visited by him for allegedly collecting target information for the LET. ( 13-2-10)

( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: [email protected] )

 

[ajtr]

Following article is a reality check for all those aman ki asha(tamasha) supporters in india.Grand plan of MMS.

Out of his Head:Will it work

And above article's counter......

Stop obsessing (and get on with it)

Early in his first term, when Manmohan Singh was more accessible to the media and more willing to discuss issues with those whose views were different from his, the prime minister outlined what he hoped would be his government’s policy on Pakistan.
As far as he was concerned, the dispute with Pakistan was a legacy of the 20th century. An India that aimed to be a superpower in the 21st century could not afford to be obsessed with a small neighbour. China, our great rival in the region, had border disputes with its neighbours (including India) but saw beyond them.
In our case, however, we had been defined for too long in our dealings with the international community by the Kashmir issue and by our problems with Pakistan. The challenge for his government, he said, was to move beyond Pakistan, to end the obsession with our neighbour and to stop spending billions on arms.
Manmohan Singh repeated these remarks when he spoke to journos on the plane to New York on his way to his first meeting with Pervez Musharraf. When the prime minister met the Pakistani president he made two points. First of all, he asserted, he had no mandate to redraw the borders of India. Nor would any Indian prime minister in the foreseeable future. Secondly, border disputes were fast becoming obsolete. In the 21st century, borders were soft and porous. So why not find a Kashmir solution based on soft borders and regional cooperation and prosperity?
I have dealt at some length on the PM’s views because I believe they are still at the core of his Pakistan policy. It is too simplistic to see Manmohan Singh as a dove or a Pakistan-lover. Rather, he believes that Pakistan should be a minor irrelevance and that the baggage of the dispute is dragging India down and preventing us from occupying our rightful place in the world.
Frankly, I don’t see how anyone can disagree with Manmohan Singh. Yes, of course, it is absurd for India’s future to be held hostage to a dispute in the tiny Kashmir Valley. And who can deny that we are now in the same league as China and not Pakistan?
But here’s the problem: it is not enough for us to think like that. Pakistan must also be willing to accept that a peaceful solution that does not compromise India’s sovereignty is possible. Sadly, everything we have seen over the last year suggests that Pakistan is a long way from accepting that position.
Islamabad recognises that India has a lot to gain by settling this dispute on terms that do not radically alter the status quo. But what does Pakistan gain from such a solution?
At present, Pakistani policy is guided by three major factors: the jihadi threat; the need for the Pakistani establishment (politicians and army) to retain the support of its people; and the relationship with the US over Afghanistan and the war on terror (or whatever they are calling it today).
All three factors work directly against the Manmohan Singh formulation.
India has always believed that the terrorists who come across the border are guided by the Pakistani State. The Pakistanis say they are freelancers beyond the control of the State.
The disagreement over which characterisation is accurate still rages but it seems unlikely that the terrorists who are exploding car bombs in Pakistan are State actors. Rather, it seems as though the State is losing control of Pakistan. So, the ISI may still be able to control the Laskar-e-Tayyeba and a few other outfits but there is no way in which Pakistan can rein in all the terrorists it has spawned. The monster of terrorism is now consuming its maker.
In these circumstances, no Pakistani government can guarantee that peace will return to Kashmir because militants will stop streaming across the border or even that India’s cities will be free from 26/11-type attacks. If the Pakistani government can’t even secure Lahore or Karachi, how can it prevent attacks on Bombay?
Nor is it clear that the Pakistani State even wants to rein in the terrorists. Elements in the State (in the army, the ISI, etc.) are delighted by the global attention paid to 26/11-type incidents and do not see how Pakistan gains if these stop.
Nor does the Pakistani public believe that the terrorists who cause mayhem in the name of Kashmir are a bad thing — they treat them as freedom fighters. Moreover, Pakistanis also believe that much of the violence in India emanates not from Pakistan but from Indian Muslims who are finally fighting back after decades of mistreatment. (You and I may laugh at this characterisation but Pakistan needs to believe that Muslims are treated badly in India. After all, if Muslims can live happily in Hindu-majority India, then what was the need to create Pakistan?)
So, an embattled Pakistani State has nothing to gain by cracking down on those who attack India. On the contrary, it risks alienating its own people by appearing to let down the ‘freedom fighters’ and ‘poor Indian Muslims who are fighting for justice’.
The chest-thumping tenor of recent statements made by senior Pakistani ministers (‘India has blinked’ etc.) is a clear indication of the desire of Pakistani politicians to demonstrate how they are standing up to India. In a situation where ministers play to the gallery, no real progress is possible in the peace process.
And finally, there is the American angle. The US has now recognised that the violence in Afghanistan (and the terrorism that emanates from there) will never end as long as Pakistan offers safe haven and support to the militants. (It is the same with Kashmir: no peace is possible as long as Pakistan exports terror.)
The Pakistanis have told the Americans that they would like to help but domestic public opinion is deeply hostile to the US. The only way they can mollify their own people is if they can say that Washington is on Pakistan’s side against India, that it will help secure Kashmiri freedom, etc.
Naturally, the US cannot do all of this. But it can put pressure on India to talk to Pakistan (so that the Pakistanis can claim we blinked). And that is exactly what the Americans are now doing.
Given this background, how can any peace be possible? Every concession we offer (the inclusion of Baluchistan in the joint statement at Sharm el-Sheikh, for instance) is treated as evidence of Indian perfidy. We are just being used by the Americans and the Pakistanis and our genuine desire for peace is being exploited.
I subscribe to Manmohan Singh’s vision. Of course, we must stop being obsessed with Pakistan. But can we do this while Pakistan is still obsessed with us?
And when that obsession is expressed through violence, murder and terrorism?
The views expressed by the author are personal

 

[StealthSniper]

Very sad news, and RIP to those that died. I hope whoever did this will suffer greatly before they die.

 

[tarunraju]

Although the blasts are a tragedy, it's come at a time that favours India ahead of talks with Pakistan. India can now focus its talks with Pakistan on terror, and not leave the opportunity for Pak to get demanding or unreasonable with the scope of discussion. Under the present circumstances, Pak can't dream of resuming the composite dialogue, forget anything else they expect from the talks. However, it can't say no to talks as that would work against it diplomatically.

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

R.I.P for the victims of this act of terrorism. It is a great tragedy, 7 of the nine killed are in their early twenties.

My heart goes to the families of the victims. Two youngsters killed in this attack are brother and sister from kolkata. I am at loss of words.
I can just express my feeling.

This is a request to all Indian DFI members. Please inform the police if you see any unidentified object. Please do not try to open it yourself. There are reports that one waiter of German bakery tried to open this unidentified bag, that is when the blast took place.

 

[Pintu]

Again an attack against Humanity , by the butchers who love to think themselves as 'Human', May almighty give rest to the souls of the deceased , give strength to the bereaved families , the strength needed most to overcome the moment of trauma, we will remain united and ever with bond getting stronger in each attack by the cowards.

Regards

 

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/517039_PC-declines-to-speculate-on-Pune-blast-impact-on-Indo-Pak-talk

PC declines to speculate on Pune blast impact on Indo-Pak talk

STAFF WRITER 16:56 HRS IST

Pune, Feb 14 (PTI) Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram Sunday refused to be drawn into the question if the bomb blast here would have a bearing on the proposed talks between India and Pakistan later this month.

"This matter (of Indo-Pak talk) will be considered in New Delhi," that was all Chidambaram said when asked at a press conference whether Saturday night's blast would cast a shadow on the proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks.

"I will not go beyond this (the blast) incident in my responses," he said. The Minister was addressing the media after visiting the blast site in Koregaon area, in India's western state of Maharashtra and meeting the victims undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

"I have not come here to answer questions on the diplomatic or external affairs side. Those are matters we will consider in Delhi...

 

[Pintu]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ed-in-Pune-blast-Govt/articleshow/5572766.cms

RDX, ammonium nitrate used in Pune blast: Govt
AGENCIES, 14 February 2010, 04:24pm IST

MUMBAI: The Union home ministry on Sunday said that RDX and ammonium nitrate were used to carry out Saturday's bomb blast at the German Bakery in Pune.

Probe into the Pune blast case was moving in the right direction but it was very premature to say who was behind the terror attack, a top police official said on Sunday.

"Investigation is on. With the assistance of National Investigation Agency, state's Anti-Terrorism Squad is probing the case and it is moving in the right direction," Inspector general (law and order) Rashmi Shukla said.

Asked whether police have any suspicion that the blast could be the handiwork of Indian Mujahideen or any other outfit, she said, "It's very premature to say who is behind or responsible for the blast."

On reports that some suspects have been detained, she said she had no information in this regard from the ATS.

Terror struck Pune last night as a powerful bomb ripped apart at a popular bakery near the Chabad House, killing nine people and injuring 57 others, in the first major attack since 26/11 carnage.

The Improvised Explosive Device, kept in a packet outside the kitchen of the German Bakery, exploded at around 7.30pm when a waiter attempted to open it.

"The 30'X30' structure, with a temporary extension for the customer, was owned by Shankar Kharose and Ram Kharose but was being run by Gopal Manipuri," she said, adding the blast has caused a 6'X4' hole on the wall.

Besides the ATS, experts from the Indian Army and forensic laboratory have reached the spot to collect evidence from the scene of crime, Shukla said.

"Force One has also reached the spot and the area has been cordoned off," she said.

"We are awaiting forensic report to establish the nature of explosives used in the blast," the officer said while denying that some more explosive material was found near the bakery on Saturday night.

Among the nine killed in the incident, five were identified as Ankik Dhar (24), Anandi Dhar(19) and Shilpa Goenka (23) of Kolkata, T Sundari (22) of Bangalore and Bineeta Gadani of Mumbai. One of the four unidentified bodies is that of a female, who could be a foreigner, Shukla said.

Out of the 57 injured, which include foreigners, 20 have been discharged while the rest are undergoing treatment at Jehangir, Ruby, Surya, Budharani, Medi point, Sancheti and Sasson hospitals in Pune.

To a query, Shukla denied there were leads to indicate that foreigners were actual targets in the incident.

The security at vital installations, religious places, railway stations and other places frequented by foreigners had been beefed up, she said, adding cases were taken against unidentified persons under relevant sections of the IPC, Indian Explosive Act, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Bund garden police station of Pune.

 

[ajtr]

200 kg of ammonium nitrate, 600 detonators seized in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: A huge cache of explosives, including 200 kg of ammonium nitrate and 600 detonators, were on Sunday seized by Gujarat police from Vapi

The seizure comes a day after a blast rocked a popular bakery in Pune killing nine persons and injuring 57 others.

Four bags containing 50 kg of explosive substance ammonium nitrate each and detonators were recovered from four people travelling in a car from Vapi-Silvassa road, they said.

The four have been arrested and the car in which they were travelling has been seized, police said, adding further investigations are on.