Admitting that there has been no breakthrough in the July 13 triple bomb blast in Mumbai, Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday said that he is personally monitoring the investigation. The minister also expressed his dissatisfaction over the situation in the Naxal-infested Gadchiroli district.
“The triple blasts in Mumbai and September 7 blast in Delhi were a stern reminder that terror modules are still active in the country. While investigations in the Delhi bomb blast case have led to the arrest of three accused and to the identification of three wanted persons, the probe in the Mumbai bomb blasts case has no made any progress,” said Mr Chidambaram. According to the home minister, 18 terrorist modules were neutralised in 2011.
Expressing his displeasure on the situation Gadchiroli, the Union home minister said, “Things have not improved in Gadchiroli despite the government’s investments in the anti-Naxal operations. We have increased manpower, set up new police stations and even provided a helicopter. I will talk to the chief minister to pay special attention to the situation.”
Moreover, Mr Chidambaram said that 2011 witnessed a historic low in the level of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, the north-eastern states and the left-wing extremists affected states. “A total of 31 civilians and 33 security personnel lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir, as against 47 and 69, respectively, in 2010. The panchayat elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir after 23 years. In the north-eastern states, 69 civilians and 32 security personnel were killed as against 94 and 20, respectively, in 2010,” he said.
“The level of violence in the states affected by left-wing extremism also declined, although it is still unacceptably high. Around 447 civilians and 142 security personnel were killed, as against 718 and 285, respectively, in 2010,” he added.
However, the minister admitted that violence in the country is still at an unacceptably high level.