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Rediff.com  » News » Assam: PM, Sonia visit blast sites

Assam: PM, Sonia visit blast sites

By K Anurag in Guwahati
Last updated on: November 01, 2008 19:30 IST
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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a visit to blasts sites in Guwahati, besides taking stock of the blast injured undergoing treatment in two government hospitals in the city this afternoon.

Immediately after arrival at the Guwahati airport, the two leaders accompanied by the Union Minister for Heavy Industries Santosh Mohan Deb rushed to Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Civil Hospital
at Kachari Ghat at Panbazar to meet the injured in Thursday's serial explosions.

They went to the blast site at the parking lot of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court of Kamrup District at Panbazar and saw large wreckages of vehicles annihilated in Thursday's blast. Kamrup district Deputy Commissioner Protik Hazela brief the two leaders at the blast site.

The lawyers of the Guwahati submitted two separate memoranda to the two leaders demanding fulfillment of various demands, including full-proof security to the CJM court complex.

Dr Singh and Sonia then proceeded to Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) to meet the blast injured admitted there.

Death toll in Thursday's blasts went up to 80  even as the Specvial Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police claimed to have identified the owners of thre Maruti 800 cars and one pulser motorcycle used to plant bombs in Guwahati and Bongaigaon on Thursday. Police have already arrested three persons in connection with the blasts.

Centre not soft on terror: PM

Later, Dr Manmohan Singh told the media at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) premises that the Centre was not going soft on terror and asserted that those involved in serial blasts in Assam would be taken to task.

Regarding the alleged link of Bangladesh-based outfits in the blasts, Dr Singh said, "If other governments are involved, we will definitely take up with them. It will not be proper for me to make a comment at this stage."

The Assam police are trying to make sketches of two of the suspects involved in the blasts.

The police informed that one Advocate Prodip Konwar had volunteered to help out the police figure out sketches of two blasts suspects who were seen in the parking lot of the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in the city just before the cam bomb exploded there.

The lawyer told the media that one of the suspects was lean while the other with beard and a round face was wearing a black kurta-pyjama. He said the persons were aged around 26 years and 45 years respectively and could help police to make sketches of those.

The lawyer's vehicle, a white Maruti 800 bearing registration AS 01 K 1532 was severely damaged in the explosion and was parked beside the Maruti car that has been suspected to be used to trigger the blast.

Police initially suspected that the lawyer's vehicle has been used for triggering the blasts at the CJM court parking area.  The lawyer said that he has been driving the vehicle for the last eight years.

 

 

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K Anurag in Guwahati