The police’s investigations into the bomb blast in Gadchiroli have indicated that a camera flash was used to trigger the blast.
According to police sources, a camera flash operates on a six-volt battery, and a battery of six volts or more is required to detonate 30 kg of explosives — the amount of explosives used in the blast.
“Camera flashes are commonly used to detonate bombs, and we believe that it was used in Tuesday’s incident as well,” said Sunil Ramanand, deputy inspector general, anti-Naxal operations.
The police’s suspicion is supported by the fact that the accused Angela Sontakke, a Naxal, arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad last ye-ar, during interrogation had said that her cell had bought a lot of cameras, and had been trained in operating them.
Inquiries have also revealed that a family from the Pustela village was planning to visit another village using the road where the blast occurred, but was advised against it by the Naxals. Sources said that the Naxals asked the family to re-schedule their visit, as a strike was being planned on the inter-state road. Mean-while, the death toll in the blast case rose to 13 on Thursday, after CRPF officer R. Shibu succumbed to his injuries.
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Dey accused in judicial custody till April 16
Age correspondent
Mumbai, March 29
The sessions court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the bail application filed by Deepak Sisodiya, one of the accused in the J. Dey murder case to April 2. Moreover, the court extended the judicial custody of all 11 accused in the case to April 16.
However, nine accused were not produced in the court on Thursday. The jail authorities had informed the prosecution and the court that there were no escorts available to accompany the accused to the court.
Meanwhile, one of the accused Jigna Vora’s counsel Jayesh Vithlani has made an application in the court stating that the prosecution should produce a list of documents, based on which they are pressing charges against Vora. Mr Vithlani said that after considering all those documents, he would file the bail application. The prosecution is yet to file its reply on the application.