Gujarat police teams set off to Varanasi

Gujarat police officers and experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) are packing their bags to extend a helping hand to the Uttar Pradesh police in the Varanasi blast investigation.

A team of FSL, Gandhinagar and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) will be leaving for Varanasi on Friday.

Sources in the police department told DNA, that the Gujarat police are among the few agencies in the country that have exhaustive information on the earlier modules of Indian Mujahideen (IM).

"There seems to be no major change in the new module, however, Gujarat police, with its experience, can help the UP police with the investigation," a police source said.

Talking to DNA, a cop from ATS said that some senior police officials will visit Varanasi on Friday to assess the situation there. In Gujarat, the ATS is the only nodal agency authorised to share information in connection with bomb blasts with other state police.

"We keep on sharing information and see what can be done this time," a cop from ATS said. The cops from ATS will be joined by explosive experts from the directorate of FSL. Sources in FSL said that two to three experts will be going to Varanasi to analyse the explosives used in the bomb. FSL played an important role in investigating the materials used in the Ahmedabad serial blasts.

Sources in Gujarat police also said that the police are all set to rehash information on the people arrested and wanted for the Ahmedabad serial blasts. "We are ready to give any information in connection with the IM module," another cop, who was part of the Ahmedabad serial bomb blast investigations, told DNA.