Chidambaram Says No Intelligence Failure in Pune Bomb Blast
Pune was rocked by a bomb blast on Saturday at the famous German Bakery in Koregoan Park, the favorite joint for many foreign nationals and local people.
Pune: The Oxford of the East was shaken by a bomb blast on 13th February 2010. The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that the blast was not a result of any intelligence failure. He said it was an 'insidious' planting of a bomb in a 'soft' target establishment.
Mr. Chidambaram visited the blast site and met the injured in the hospital. He said that the area of Koregaon Park, housing Jewish Chabad House and Osho Ashram had been sensitized by police. These areas are on the 'radar of terrorists', but it is also very difficult to provide security to all soft targets 24/7.
According to Chidambaram, these establishments need to adopt security measures themselves. The police cannot check each and every person, bag or place at all times. "There is no intelligence failure, but please remember this is not an overt attack by gunmen. This is an insidious bomb that had been planted in what appears to be a backpack," the Home Minister said.
The Home Minister referred to the Osho Ashram and the Chabad House as "hard targets." He said, "But apart from hard targets, there are soft targets...All these (the German bakery and an Italian restaurant nearby) are soft targets where foreigners and Indians congregate especially during the peak hours."
The case has been taken over by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, and teams have been constituted to investigate Saturday's blast that left nine people dead and 57 injured. A compensation of Rs. Five lakh has been announced to the families of those killed in the bomb blast.
The blast occurred at around 7.30 pm, when a waiter attempted to open an unattended bag kept outside the kitchen of the German bakery.
Mr. Chidambaram visited the blast site and met the injured in the hospital. He said that the area of Koregaon Park, housing Jewish Chabad House and Osho Ashram had been sensitized by police. These areas are on the 'radar of terrorists', but it is also very difficult to provide security to all soft targets 24/7.
According to Chidambaram, these establishments need to adopt security measures themselves. The police cannot check each and every person, bag or place at all times. "There is no intelligence failure, but please remember this is not an overt attack by gunmen. This is an insidious bomb that had been planted in what appears to be a backpack," the Home Minister said.
The Home Minister referred to the Osho Ashram and the Chabad House as "hard targets." He said, "But apart from hard targets, there are soft targets...All these (the German bakery and an Italian restaurant nearby) are soft targets where foreigners and Indians congregate especially during the peak hours."
The case has been taken over by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, and teams have been constituted to investigate Saturday's blast that left nine people dead and 57 injured. A compensation of Rs. Five lakh has been announced to the families of those killed in the bomb blast.
The blast occurred at around 7.30 pm, when a waiter attempted to open an unattended bag kept outside the kitchen of the German bakery.
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