US knew of ISI terror designs and tie-ups with Tiger Memon
Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Varanasi were the scenes of major terroristattacks after the 26/11 carnage, which prompted a reshuffle in the Union Cabinet with the much-criticised Shivraj Patil being replaced by P Chidambaram as home minister.Chidambaram promised a re-jig of the counterterrorism machinery after the 26/11 attacks, in which 10 Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists killed at least 174 and left countless injured in the western metropolis. But in the 33 months of Chidambaram’s tenure in the Ministry of Home Affairs, police and security agencies could arrest only one accused in connection with just one of the seven major terrorist attacks.Almost seven months after the explosion at famous German Bakery in Pune, the Anti-Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra Police claimed to have made the first major breakthrough in the case and arrestedsuspected LeT operative Mirza Himmayat Inayat Baig on September 7, 2010.German Bakery blastThe blast at the German Bakery on February 13, 2010, left 17 killed and 56 injured.Six other suspects in the case, including the Indian Mujahideen operative Mohsin Choudhury, are still absconding. A court in Pune on July 16 last framed charges against Baig for conspiracy and murder under Sections 302 of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 10 and 16 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that none was arrested in connection with the April 17, 2010, twin blasts at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore and December 7, 2010, explosion at Sheetala Ghat in Varanasi. Singh gave the information in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.The two low-intensity blasts at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore had left 15 peopleinjured just before an Indian Premier League match.A girl was killed and 31 injured in the blast at Sheetala Ghat on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi.On Wednesday, when 11 people were killed by an explosion at the Gate No 7 of the Delhi High Court, Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that the nationalcapital witnessed three terror strikes in 2010 and 2011, but none was arrested in connection with any of the cases. A crude bomb exploded at Mehrauli on March 29, 2010, followed by a firing and blast near the Jama Masjid on September 9, 2010, and an explosion near the Delhi High Court on May 25, 2011.Two Taiwanese tourists were injured in the blasts near the Jama Masjid. None was hurt in the other two explosions.The police also could not arrestanyone in the July 13, 2011, serial blasts in Mumbai, although two months have passed since the explosions in three different places that left 26 people dead. [More]Tags:lajpat nagar blastwikileaksisi