Chandigarh-based Central Forensic Laboratory may carry out a reconstruction process in order to assess the exact quantity of the materials used in July 11 serial train blasts in Mumbai.
"The Central Forensic lab is going to arrange for such a reconstruction process and then we may be in a position to talk about the quantity of material used in the serial train blasts," Maharashtra Forensic Laboratory Director Rukmini Krishnamurthy said on Tuesday.
Asked why a delay occurred in reaching a conclusion on ascertaining the nature of explosives unlike in 2003 when the explosives used in the twin blasts had been determined within 48 hours, she said: "Analysis took more than expected time because the material used in the blast was a combination of RDX with ammonium nitrate and petroleum hydrocarbon, and we wanted to be doubly sure. We started the investigation last Wednesday and submitted the report on Monday to the Anti-Terrorist Squad."
The Maharashtra FSL used latest technologies like liquid chromatography with mass detector, gas chromatography mass detector and Iron scan chromatography, she said.
Asked whether the samples were sent to the Andhra Pradesh Forensic lab, she said: "I have no idea. Officially, the samples are not sent. National Security Guard personnel came to collect the samples and they would be doing their analysis from the Central forensic lab in Chandigarh," she added.
Krishnamurthy said that on the day of the blasts, Maharashtra FSL officials and the police collected samples from different incident sites and analysed them in the train car-shed before they were brought to the lab on Wednesday.
Krishnamurthy, who is also member of All India Forensic Advisory Board, stressed upon the need to regulate the sale of ammonium nitrate in open market. "Just as we (board) regulate the use of acetic anhydride in the open market (a hydride is used to process narcotics), it is time to regulate ammonium nitrate," she said.
Nearly 200 people were killed and over 700 injured when seven blasts rocked commuter trains on the Western Railway line on July 11.
