Though most are unwilling to come on record, they reluctantly admit that the intelligence gathering mechanism of the police needs to be overhauled.

Many blame it on the lull that followed the arrest of nine persons in February who are suspected to have carried out at least 35 bomb blasts in the Capital since December 1996.

The accused reportedly revealed they were working at the behest of Abdul Karim alias Tunda and Zaki-ur-Rehman: both are members of an ISI-funded terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba.

While Tunda is still believed to be hiding in Bangladesh, Zaki is possibly in Pakistan. The Delhi police have already informed the Union Home Ministry in this regard.

Investigations, so far, into Saturday night's bomb blast have not pin-pointed the group behind the incident. Neither is there any clear evidence to suggest that Tunda or Zaki are behind the explosion.

A senior police official told Express Newsline that circumstantial evidence indicates that a terrorist group from Punjab could be behind the incident. The area chosen for the blast as well as the modus operandi adopted is believed to have prompted this speculation.

The use of a Maruti Gypsy, with `police' written across the body, and uniforms by the occupants who were seen placing the bomb, are also part of the modus operandi of a Punjab based terrorist group which the police refuse to name at this stage.

The explosion in Kailash Colony was the first in south Delhi since the RDX bomb blast in Lajpat Nagar market two years ago. Also, almost all the explosions that took place last year were in the walled city area or areas which come under the north and central police districts.

The police are still awaiting the chemical analysis of the explosive used on Saturday night. ``We are sure that it was not RDX. Chemicals likeammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphuric acid were probably used. But let's not jump to conclusions,'' said a senior official.

He also ruled out the involvement of Tunda or Zaki in this incident, though both are reportedly experts in making crude bombs with chemicals and almost all the bombs used last year at their behest were manufactured with similar chemicals. Another police official, however, refused to close investigations on the Tunda and Zaki angle altogether. Because, despite the arrest of nine persons in connection with the blasts last year, the police are yet to solve two incidents the twin bomb blasts at Chandni Chowk on November 30 and the one near ITO on January 9 this year.

``It is possible that those who have not been caught yet have been told to resume their activities. It also seems that they have been told to use indigenous materials and readily available chemicals. The motive is definitely to create panic and not to kill,'' the official added.