Excerpts from the interview:
Are you happy with the manner in which the probe is being carried out?
Many people are on the job and I am happy with the way it is going.
What direction is the probe headed?
Though I can't give you details, all I can say is that it is going in the right direction
Who are the primary suspects? Is it the Indian Mujahideen?
It is too early to say anything on that. We are exploring every aspect and will let you know once things are clear. We are also probing into the role of the Indian Mujahideen. It could be them as well.
You have picked up four persons. Are they suspects or accused?
At the moment, I would say they are suspects, who are being questioned. Let us see what comes out after the interrogation.
Are these men linked to Riyaz Bhatkal and Mohsin Chaudhary, the founders of the Indian Mujahideen?
They have been picked up on the basis of their alleged links. They are being interrogated and let us see what clues or leads we will stumble upon.
The Centre clearly said it had alerted the Pune police after the David Headley case came up.
You must have read that there was an alert pertaining to a couple of places in Pune. The Pune police had done everything possible to secure the places. There have been these kind of incidents in other places. In a big city, it is difficult sometimes and we cannot check each and everyone.
Was it proper to just secure the places that were on the radar and ignore the rest of the city? Does this mean that the alert was not taken seriously?
No, that is incorrect. These kinds of incidents happen and as I said earlier we cannot check each and everybody. We have taken the alert seriously there is no doubt about that.
Did this blast occur because there was no proper police deployment everywhere in the city?
No, that is not the case. We have taken every alert given to us seriously and there was proper police deployment. I can vouch for that. We are doing our best. Let me assure all of you that.
You said the bomb was triggered by a remote control.
I never said that. I just said there is a possibility that the bomb could have been triggered by a remote-controlled device. The forensics team is doing its work and we are yet to get a complete report. Such things need time and have to be analysed carefully. Once the complete information is out, we will share it with you.
The National Investigating Agency was formed to probe terror-related cases. Does the Pune police feel handicapped now that the NIA has not been roped in to this probe.
I would not agree with you on this. The Pune police, the ATS and Intelligence agencies are all probing this case and I would have to say that it is in the right direction. We are getting vital clues and should be able to crack the case very soon. All the agencies are putting their heads together and working overtime and we are sure of a quick result.