Agencies aware of terror plot regarding Jewish Chabad House: Pune IG Law and Order

PUNE - Reiterating Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram’s stance of there being no intelligence failure in Saturday night’s bomb explosion at the German Bakery in Pune’s Koregaon area, Special Inspector General (IG) (Law and Order) Pune, Rashmi Shukla on Sunday confirmed that the city police had received intelligence inputs about the Jewish Chabad House and the Osho commune being targeted by terrorists.

“Intelligence reports were received on Jewish Chabad House following which units were sensitized,” Shukla said a day after nine people were killed and over 50 injured in the blast.

Addressing a press conference here, Shukla said investigating agencies were sifting through the explosive materials that had been used in the blast, and were waiting for a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

“Its too early to give any lead into the blast. The moment we get any lead, we will come back to you,” she said.

When enquired about the death of foreign nationals, Shukla said: ” One body is yet to be identified. It could be of a foreigner.”

She also rejected reports regarding another bag filled with explosives being recovered from the blast site.

“Only one bomb exploded at the German Bakery. No other suspicious bag was found as reported earlier,” Shukla said.

Earlier, talking to reporters after visiting the injured persons in the Sasoon Hospital here, Chidambaram had dismissed reports of ‘intelligence failure’ in connection with blast.

Chidambaram said the terrorists have hit a ’soft target’ like the German Bakery, which is frequented by foreigners and Indians alike.

The improvised explosive device (IED), kept in a packet outside the kitchen of the German bakery, exploded at around 7.30 in evening on Saturday when a waiter attempted to open it.

The German Bakery is a favourite food joint for foreigners, located close to the Osho Ashram, which is said to have been inspected by Pakistani American terror suspect David Coleman Headley more than two years ago.

Chidambaram has said that the Indian government is still putting pressure on the US authorities to give New Delhi access to Headley, who is said to have conducted recce’s on behalf of the Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) before the 26/11 terror strikes on Mumbai. (ANI)