The Gujarat police on Wednesday released the sketches of three persons who were suspected to have planted bombs at three areas in Ahmedabad on July 26.
"We have released sketches of three persons who are suspected of planting the bombs in Narol, Hatekeshwar and Raipur areas. The sketches have been prepared on the basis of description given by eye-witnesses," Joint Commissioner of Police H P Singh said.
Coverage: Serial Blasts in Ahmedabad
The Crime Branch, investigating the serial blasts in the city that left 55 people dead, prepared sketches on August 1 but did not release them earlier as they thought it may alert the accused.
According to the police, the man who may have planted the bomb at Narol is about 45 years old, five and half feet in height, has wheatish complexion and a sturdy built. He is slightly blad and was wearing a white shirt, a lungi and rubber slippers.
Similarly, the one who is suspected of planting a bomb at Hatkeshwar area is around 30 years old, five feet seven inches in height, has a heavy build and dark complexion, curly hair and moustache, police said adding he was wearing a yellow shirt and beige coloured trousers.
The third person, suspected to be involved in the blast in Raipur area, was the one who had purchased the cycle from a cycle trader, police said.
He is about 21 years of age, five feet eight inches in height and has wheatish complexion, medium built and well-groomed hair. He was wearing light coloured shirt and trousers, they said.
The police have also appealed to the people that if they come across any person who fits the description of the suspects, they should inform the police control room immediately.
'Terrorism and riots are not interlinked'
The police have also released a full-size sketch of the suspect who may have planted the bomb in Raipur area. The sketch shows him wearing a shirt, trousers and chappals.
The copies of the sketches have been sent to all police stations in the state.
Joint Commissioner of Police H P Singh said that 18 cases have been registered in the serial blasts in the city.
Singh said they have also compared the sketches of Jaipur blasts suspects with those of Ahmedabad blasts.
"However, the sketches of the Jaipur blasts suspects do not match with those of the Ahmedabad blasts," Singh added.
Regarding sketches of suspects of blasts in other areas of the city, Singh said the investigation was on and statements of eyewitnesses were being recored.
Hoping to get further insights into the threatening e-mail sent few minutes prior to the serial blasts in Ahmedabad, the city's Forensic Science Laboratory has sought an opinion from an international university on the matter.
"We have sent an e-mail to the Purdue University Cyber Forensic Laboratory seeking their opinion on wireless routers but without specifying any other details of the present case under investigation," Rukmini Krishnamurthy, director of Forensic Science Laboratory (Kalina) told PTI.
The cyber forensic lab in Purdue is reputed to be one of the best in the world and their response was presently awaited, she said.
Image: Where the terrorists struck
The Kalina Forensic Laboratory is presently probing the contents of ten computers seized from the Gunina building in the Sanpada area of Navi Mumbai in connection with an e-mail sent by an alleged terror group prior to the serial Ahmedabad blasts on July 26.
The e-mail was traced to an American national's internet protocol address in Sanpada and the police suspect someone used the wireless internet connection at his house to send the e-mail.
Krishnamurthy said the forensic reports of the computers had yet not been sent to the Anti-Terrorism Squad and other experts could be consulted before preparing a report.
ATS officials said they had also sought assistance from experts but refused to divulge further details.
A team from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch also visited the Anti-Terrorism Squad office in central Mumbai today in connection with the threatening email.
