NEWS

Sketches of Varanasi suspects released

By Sharat Pradhan in Varanasi
March 09, 2006

The Varanasi police on Thursday released the sketches of two people, suspected to be involved in Tuesday's bomb blast in the Sankat Mochan temple.

The police said they made the sketches based on information obtained from a shopkeeper.

"The suspects bought a bag from this shop and left a live bomb outside the shop. From what the shopkeeper told us, the two are young men and might be of Kashmiri origin. The shopkeeper said their Hindi was broken and did not look like locals," a senior police officer said.

The police said they have also nailed a key suspect directly involved in the blasts with the help of a wedding video and that they will soon release his sketches.

The police said the video, shot at the time of the explosion, had helped them identify a bearded man whom neither family knows.

Varanasi Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Sikera told rediff.com: "Our suspicion was aroused by this bearded man attired as a sadhu and carrying a bag; he was seen lurking around the wedding party, and neither family knows him."

Two members of the family, the priest and the cameraman were killed in the blast, while the bride's father lost an eye.

The bride from Kathmandu and the groom from Mumbai, who had converged at the auspicious temple to solemnise their wedding, are recuperating at the Benaras Hindu University Hospital.

The temple is regarded as very auspicious by Hindus, and many weddings are performed in the open quadrangle overlooking the main temple building every day.

 

Sharat Pradhan in Varanasi

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