Blast in Antop Hill locality: Cops rule out involvement of terrorists

The Crime Branch has, however, sent a team to West Bengal, the native state of the arrested duo, to check their antecedents and ruled out any ulterior motive. (Express photo/Representational)

THE MUMBAI Police Crime Branch, which is investigating the case of an explosion in the Antop Hill locality on Sunday evening, does not suspect involvement of any terrorists in the blast. The two arrested accused told the investigators that they had planned to burst firecrackers after mixing these with shards from a scrap shop nearby, but the explosion occurred at a higher intensity than they had planned. The Crime Branch has, however, sent a team to West Bengal, the native state of the arrested duo, to check their antecedents and ruled out any ulterior motive.

The Antop Hill police on Sunday arrested Isarul Kashid Shaikh (24), a native of Murshidabad in West Bengal, and another minor after an explosion was heard in the area raising fears that the men may have been in the process of preparing explosives.

A senior Crime Branch officer said, “Based on their questioning, as of now there does not appear to be any terror angle. They have told us that they would often burst fire-crackers in Murshidabad from where they came to the city a month back.”

The accused told the police that they had purchased two boxes of ‘rassi bomb’ fire-crackers and had burst six of these earlier.

“On Sunday, they put four more bombs in a steel container, added some shards from a scrap shop nearby and set it on fire in a shanty where the minor’s aunt resides. However, suspecting the explosion would be huge, Shaikh took the container outside and pressed it with his foot, ostensibly to stop the explosion. “However, the firecracker exploded, injuring Shaikh,” an officer said.

Passers-by heard the explosion and found Shaikh injured. The Antop Hill police registered an FIR and handed him over to the crime branch. The accused were produced before the court on Monday. While Shaikh was remanded in police custody for eight days, the minor was sent to the Dongri observation home.