Speed up Pune blast probe, PM tells Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday asked the central and Maharashtra governments to “take coordinated and effective action” and speed up the probe into the Pune terror attack in which nine people were killed.

Directing the central and state governments “to take coordinated and effective action to speedily investigate the matter”, Manmohan Singh told union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to ensure that “the culprits responsible for this heinous act are identified and brought to justice at the earliest”, according to an official in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Chidambaram met the prime minister Sunday afternoon to review the security situation following the bombing in a popular Pune eatery, German Bakery, Saturday evening in which 57 people were also injured.

The home minister, who visited Pune in the morning, briefed Manmohan Singh on his visit and on the state of investigations.

The prime minister expressed his “deepest condolences and sympathies” to the families of those killed and injured in the incident.

He announced relief from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund of Rs.2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed and Rs.1 lakh each to those injured.

The prime minister said the government would extend whatever help was required by the families of those killed and injured in the blast.