Two days after a daring bomb attack on an Israeli diplomat, Tal Yehoshua, investigative agencies are still groping in the dark without any concrete leads. This when a multi-agency probe of unprecedented scale has been launched by the government.
While Israel has maintained that Iran is behind the attack on its diplomat and the latter has rubbished the charges, India refused to be drawn into the controversy on Wednesday. Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told reporters, “As of today, we have no evidence to find any individual, entity,
organisation and country being involved in the incident.” This statement came shortly before Israeli ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz met external affairs minister S.M. Krishna and discussed the progress in the investigations, among other things.
The government has already decided to provide the Israeli embassy with enhanced security after a request from the Israeli mission, said government sources. Describing the meeting with Mr Krishna as “a very good one”, the ambassador acknowledged the “heart-warming” support of the Indian government and people. He also told Mr Krishna that Israel would like to send a team, including forensic experts, to India; Mr Krishna is said to have agreed.
Iran, which earlier denied involvement in the attack, refused to either accept or deny any role, Iranian ambassador to India Mehdi Nabizadeh told reporters, “We are not accepting or denying this. I don’t know how we can assume within a short moment who has done this,” said Mr Nabizadeh. He also hoped that India will “verify the case to know the real position”.
The investigations are being carried out by a host of agencies, like the Delhi police, IB, NIA and external intelligence outfits like R&AW. Inputs are also being taken from Mossad.
The police, meanwhile, found a red motorcycle abandoned in the Lado Sarai area of South Delhi Wednesday morning. The motorcycle was of the same colour as the one used in Monday’s incident. By late Wednesday evening it was revealed that the motorcycle had been sold thrice and its last owner was traced to Gurgaon. The vehicle owner is now being questioned. The police also lifted fingerprints from the motorcycle which are being matched with the one taken from the bombed Israeli embassy vehicle. Another red motorcycle was found abandoned in Connaught Place area. The police later said it was a stolen vehicle.