Vehicle used by suspects identified

INNOVA CAR USED BY TWO SUSPECTS TO ESCAPE AFTER PARKING A CAR LADEN WITH EXPLOSIVES NEAR AMBANI’S HOUSE WAS CAUGHT ON CCTV, SAY POLICE

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police have spotted on CCTV surveillance the Innova car used by two suspects to escape after parking a car laden with explosives near the residence of Reliance Industries’ chairman Mukesh Ambani. Police officials in the crime branch said the car was last seen on the Bhiwandi-Nashik highway. The police are now scouring nearby villages for clues and more details.

On February 25 afternoon, a Scorpio car was found abandoned on Carmichael Road, about 600 metres away from the Ambani residence. Twenty loose Gelatin sticks were found in the car, although there was no timer or detonation device. The police subsequently released details of a letter found in the car, addressed to the Reliance chairman and his wife, claiming this was just “a trailer”.

The 2.5kg of gelatin, in sticks, found in the SUV, is considered enough to trigger a low-intensity explosion. The SUV sported fake plates — the number was that of the lead car in the security convoy deployed for Nita Ambani.

“Our teams are still trying to trace the Innova vehicle and scanning more CCTV footage. So far, we have recorded 25 statements during the probe. NIA is also conducting a parallel probe,” Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police (crime) said on Saturday.

The police have so far scanned around 700 CCTV cameras in to track the route of the two SUVs, a crime branch official said.

The Scorpio car in which the explosives were found has also been sent to a forensic lab for further examination. The forensic team will try to collect finger prints and DNA samples. The Scorpio belongs to a Thane resident and was stolen on the night of February 17. The car owner had reported the car’s theft to the police.