RDX used in Jaipur terror strike; probe points at HUJI’s involvement
JAIPUR, May 14: High explosive RDX was used in the terror strike here, a senior police official said today as tell-tale signs pointed towards the involvement of Bangladesh- based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami in the serial blasts.
The explosive devices were fitted with timers and planted on cycles, a modus operandi similar to the one used in last year’s blasts in court premises in Uttar Pradesh in which HUJI was involved, police said.
Eight persons including a man injured in the blasts and a rickshaw puller are being questioned, they said, noting that seven teams of Rajasthan police and intelligence branch have begun the probe into the blasts.
“It was a cent per cent a terrorist attack on the pattern of blasts in the court premises in UP in November last year. RDX was used in containers tagged to cycles along with timer devices,” Additional Director General of Police (Crime) AK Jain said.
An examination of the blast sites indicated that the bombs were filled with ball bearings and small iron pieces to act as splinters, sources close to the investigation said.
HUJI may have been able to form sleeper cells in Rajasthan, they said, adding that a proper investigation into the blast at a sufi shrine in Ajmer last year could have been a pointer.
“We have collected sufficient evidence from the places of the blasts. They are being analysed by our technical experts,” Superintendent of Police, Jaipur, Raghvendra Suhasa said, noting that one unexploded bomb, found from the blast site, has been defused.
Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told reporters in New Delhi that “our priority now apart from vigilance and being on the alert will be to get hold of the people responsible” for the blasts.
The sources said the blasts triggered in areas close to two Hanuman temples in the old city could have been aimed at disturbing communal peace.
Rajasthan’s Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said the State has requested the Centre for additional forces to maintain peace. “We have asked for some forces including some commando units from the Centre as the blasts were clearly aimed at flaring up communal passions in the State,” he said.
Police sources said that investigations were on to find out from where the cycles, which were new, were purchased.
Asked whether the State had any prior information about the blasts from intelligence agencies, the Minister replied in the negative.
Eight serial blasts took place in a span of 12 to 13 minutes in crowded market areas of the city leaving at least 63 dead and 200 injured.
The blasts rocked Tripolia Bazar, where large number of devotees turned up at a Hanuman temple, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal – all located within a two-km radius in the old city. (PTI)

Curfew imposed in Pink City
JAIPUR, May 14: Curfew was today imposed in 15 police station areas of the city in the wake of the eight deadly blasts here that left at least 60 dead and 200 injured.
District Collector Akhil Arora said curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure. The curfew will be effective from 9 am to 6 pm.
Additional Director General of Police Kanhaiya Lal said curfew has been imposed in 15 police station areas. The areas under curfew are Lal Kothi, Adarsh Nagar, Transport Nagar, Manak Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Ram Ganj, Galta Gate, Brahmpuri, Bhatta Basti, Kotwali, Nahargarh, Sanjay Circle, Jalubpura and Hasa. (PTI)

Teasers on small screen is passe; social networking sites rule
New Delhi, May 14: Now you don’t have to wait to catch rushes of forthcoming big screen releases on television. With movie marketing moguls fast latching on to popular social networking sites you could switch to the Internet and view promos and teasers for the latest flicks.
In the new trend, trailers for films like the upcoming Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer Singh is King are being promoted on the Internet on sites like Orkut, Facebook and My Space. These social networking sites provide subscribers with opportunities to create communities which are used to discuss films through forums as well as upload latest videos.
The first production house to take advantage of this medium was Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts, who promoted their Black & White staring Anil Kapoor via an online community with the tag line “Kill Terror in Search of Harmony.” The initiative, however, did not do too well for them.
The fate of Ghai’s movie did not hamper Yash Raj films from promoting their production house latest flick Tashan through Orkut and Facebook.
“This is really a very encouraging medium. Internet is advantageous to promote new movies on networking sites as large chunk of members on these sites are youth, who relates themselves with the character,” says an official spokesperson from Yash Raj Films.
On Orkut and Facebook, the community has forums and polling booths to discuss Jimmy’s (Saif) new mustachioed avatar or Pooja’s (Kareena) size zero figure. It has more than a thousand members and the owners have placed themselves with the name of Bachchan Pandey, Jimmy and Bhaiyajee, the names of the characters in the movie.
“We achieved the desired results of the activity by getting people together on an online space by creating official online “Tashan” community on social networking sites. The target audience for Tashan lent itself to the Internet,” says the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, an official spokesperson for Google, which owns Orkut and You Tube, says recently there has been changes in strategies followed by production and media houses which have taken up aggressive marketing through social networking sites.
“Be it movies, programmes or projects, currently Orkut and other social networking sites seem to target the 15-24-age bracket – a very coveted demographic for media and lifestyle goods consumption,” the spokesperson adds.
“An Internet ‘audience’ now didn’t wait for teasers to come on television, but is now actively viewing the promos or video, new looks of the stars in the movie and information about movie through discussions by accessing social sites.” So, what’s the strategy behind promoting it on social networking sites? Promoting new products not only helps them to find a niche audience but also helps to create awareness faster and at a minimal possible cost. It allows Internet ‘audience’ to have text, graphics, database and even live videos.
Networking sites also provide a platform to engage with the audience by enabling interaction in fun and interesting ways ranging from allowing the audience to leave their comments, throw open discussions.
“In fact, at times promoting on social networking sites can also help production houses find distributors for projects. It’s more cost effective and simpler to alert a distributor to a web page than to send a videotape and promotional material through post and can nearly eliminate the possibility of projects falling into the wrong hands or not arriving at all,” says Google spokesperson. “I am an active member of Salman Khan’s next venture Wanted Dead or Alive and Akshay-Deepika starrer Chandni Chowk to China on Orkut. We discuss characters, their new fashion statement, hit or flop, and watch latest video uploaded on these sites. Who waits for trailers on TV,” says Anurag Yadav, member on a Orkut site.
Another thing is these communities are not restricted to filmmakers , but channels like MTV, Channel V and Sony entertainment are also active on these sites with MTV’s famous youth programme “Roadies” community active on Orkut site and others are in the pipeline.
“Orkut has several thriving communities, and is an open platform for dialogue, creativity and self expression. MTV has had an active Roadies community on orkut for a long time, and is continuing to build on this to engage their community further on Orkut,” says Google spokesperson. (PTI)