Police have detained about 15 people for questioning in connection with the bomb blast on Monday night in which two persons were killed and about 15 others injured in Suka Bazar area in this town in north Gujarat. The Sabarkantha district superintendent of police, K. K. Mysorewala, who rushed to the town last night, said he suspected it to be the handiwork of some people from outside Modasa with the support of local people. He did not rule out the possibility of the SIMI hand in the blast, as it was involved in the July 26 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts and various other cities and towns in the country.
The police have found a lot of similarity between the Modasa and the recent blast in Mehrauli in Delhi and believe it could be the work of the same group, though executed by different persons. Both bombs were of low intensity but lethal enough to kill those nearby and spread panic among people. In both cases, two terrorists came on a motorbike and dropped a bag. A 15-year-old shopper, Jainuddin, was killed on the spot and his brother, Ayub Ghori, died in hospital. Hospital sources said three others stated to be critical last night were out of danger and their conditions were improving.