Police yet to send team outside state

BHUBANESWAR: The lead given by Subhash Ramachandran's startling revelation of 'terror links' behind the recent burning of trains in Puri seems to have gone cold even as Odisha Police investigate the case while sitting in the state. "We are verifying his statements," is the only answer the investigating agencies have been giving since his arrest on November 12.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) and intelligence wing of Odisha Police are yet to get any substantial leads to make headway in the case. "We are in touch with police in different states to learn about Ramachandran and his associates," ADG (railways) M Nageswar Rao told TOI.
However, not a single team of police officers has been dispatched so far to any place outside the state to investigate the case, a fact that could cause the authorities to lose precious time if there is any truth to Ramachandran's claims that the train arson incidents were part of a much bigger plan of countrywide terror attacks planned by five terrorists in Mumbai.
"Railway and police authorities from different states have been camping in Odisha to interrogate Ramachandran. Strangely, Odisha Police are verifying his statements while sitting here. Any delay in making a headway in the case would be to the advantage of Ramachandran's associates," said Siddharth Das, a city lawyer. "If the state police lack the expertise, they should immediately write to NIA to step in," Das said.
In police custody, Ramachandran, a resident of Tamil Nadu, earlier dropped a bombshell and linked the train burnings to a well-oiled terror design hatched in Mumbai by five terrorists. He also claimed to have taken lakhs of rupees from the terrorists to set ablaze empty trains in Kharagpur, Haridwar, Gaya and Puri.
The GRP on Monday applied for extension of Ramachandran's bail for five more days. He is in judicial custody in Puri.