Mumbai: A four-member team of National Security Guards (NSG) on December 3 indicated that a crude bomb could have ripped apart a BEST bus in Ghatkopar, that left 2 dead and 31 others injured on December 2 even as Maharashtra government announced formation of a quick response team to tackle subversive activities.

The NSG team, which arrived in Mumbai from Delhi to analyse the nature of explosives, prima facie came to a conclusion that a gelatine bomb was used in the blast.

Samples have been taken and laboratory reports would be available soon, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal told reporters and ruled out use of RDX in the blast.

The team subsequently defused a bomb recovered at SEEPZ industrial area in North East suburb of Andheri.

In a related development, the Union Minister of State for Home I D Swamy visited the site of the blast.

Three days of ahead of the 10th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, police pressed into service sniffer dogs at railway stations and densely populated areas of the city to detect presence of explosives. All the railway rakes that were put into operation on December 3 were thoroughly checked at railway yards and luggages of passengers searched at random.

Bhujbal announced formation of a quick response team comprising trained, motivated and competent police personnel to tackle any terrorist activity in the state after holding a high-level meeting.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh described the blast as an attempt to destablise India while police chief M N Singh did not rule out possibility of a larger conspiracy.

PTI