Three held in Mumbai train bombings probe

Indian police investigating the Mumbai train bombings have arrested three men, the first arrests in the case, India’s NDTV news channel reported today.

Police were interrogating the men about their roles in the July 11 bombings that killed 207 people and wounded more than 800.

Two of the men were arrested in the northern state of Bihar late yesterday and the third man was arrested in Mumbai early today, NDTV said, quoting police sources.

Investigators have detained hundreds of people across the country for questioning since the bombings, but these three are the first to be formally arrested. The men were set to appear in a Mumbai court later today.

Mumbai police refused to confirm the report, but said they planned to hold a briefing on the investigation later today.

Police and officials have repeatedly suggested Islamic militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir – namely the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba – are behind the blasts.

Kashmir is a predominantly Muslim Himalayan territory divided between India and Pakistan, and is claimed in entirety by both nuclear-armed countries.

The arrests come a day after a top official in the Maharashtra state, whose capital is Mumbai, said that security across the state had been tightened amid threats of more terror plots.

Intelligence reports indicate that houses of worship, historical sites, business establishments and places where large crowds gather could also be targeted, said AP Sinha, a top official in the state’s Home Ministry.