Surat bombs a ploy to divert from Ahmedabad blasts probe

The Gujarat government believes that bombs found in Surat are an attempt to distract attention from investigations of serial blasts in the city.

"This seems to be an attempt to distract attention from the Ahmedabad serial blasts or they are planning to strike somewhere else and are trying to distract the attention of country's authorities," a top state government functionary said on Tuesday.

"Terrorists are not fools that they will allow the people and police to find bombs in such a large number. If they had intended to strike in Surat they would have timed it in such a manner that they explode. They have used timer device in Ahmedabad and many other places in the country where the blasts took place," he said.

"Do you think that the terrorist will park a car laden with explosives in the middle of the city and allow the police to find them. This is definitely an attempt to mislead," he said.

Eighteen bombs have been found in Surat and defused. Sixteen serial blasts had taken place in Ahmedabad on Saturday killing 49 people and injuring more than 140 people.