Hyderabad Blasts: FBI To Help, Cycles Identified?

Police in Hyderabad continue to probe evidence that they have recovered from the twin blasts but so far are still chasing shadows when it comes to solving the blasts yet. Here are some of the key developments in the blasts probe reported so far:

CCTV footage too blurry, FBI to be called in?
The CCTV footage which was being cited as crucial in tracking down the planters of the bomb at Dilsukhnagar has turned out to be too blurry and Indian investigators may not have the forensic tools to sharpen the footage enough to use it to track people down, reported the Times of India.

According to the unnamed investigators named in the report, this could mean that India may have to take the assistance of the FBI to interpret the footage better, given their forensic tools were also used during the German Bakery blast in 2010.

The Hyderabad police chief has already said that they did have functional CCTV cameras at the sites of the blasts but were still studying it for evidence. Earlier, investigators said that the footage may have had helped spot one of the persons who had planted a bomb at the spot.

Police officials are also analysing CCTV footage of the lodges and hotels that are near the sites of the two blasts and reportedly even are checking on the identity of two people in a nearby hotel who checked out the evening on 20 February before the blasts took place.

The Indian Express has quoted unnamed investigators saying they were looking for the occupants of a particular room who had left the evening of the blasts. The investigators are also attempting to trace all persons in the area who left around the time of the blasts, reported the DNA

Cycles being traced
Given the bombs used in the Hyderabad blasts were kept in aluminium containers that were suspected to have been placed on cycles, the police is obtaining information about second hand cycles that may have been bought before the blasts by the persons who carried it out, reported the Indian Express.

Former blast suspects interrogated
As is the case with all blasts, the first to be picked up after a new attack are the usual suspects. One of the suspects in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast, that was since blamed on a Hindu right-wing group, was been detained by police since yesterday, reported the Indian Express

Mohammed Raisuddin, who was a suspect in the 2007 blast, and at least three others who were accused in the 2007 twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat were been detained by the police for questioning.

Civil rights groups have accused the police of targeting youth from the Muslim community and were being detained despite having being acquitted in previous cases or despite no evidence of their involvement in the current blasts, the Hindu reported.