For Lashkar Bangalore is next to Mumbai

Rs 50,000 -- That's all it cost to execute the Bangalore serial blasts in 2008, according to T Naseer, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative who is the prime accused in the case.

During his interrogation, Naseer, who was arrested recently on the Indo-Bangladesh border, told the police that local materials were used for the blasts and this ensured that costs were low.

Naseer further said they did not even have to pay for the explosives, detonators and also the timers. "We stole all these things from a shop in Kannur and assembled it by ourselves," Naseer told interrogators.

Money was only spent on housing cadres. "We found cheap accommodation on the outskirts of Bangalore city," he added.

'Bangalore was the easiest to bomb'

Naseer's confession also reveals the poor security in Bangalore. During his interrogation, he pointed out that they had first picked Chennai, but then decided against it, since the security was top notch there.

When they conducted a reccee in Bangalore, they realised that security was poor and it would be easy to carry out a strike there.

He pointed out that they also had in mind that the growing status of Bangalore. "In the Lashkar circles, Bangalore is next to Mumbai and striking this city, where there is so much American investment, would give us a lot of publicity," he told his interrogators.

"Moreover, I have been a regular visitor to this city along with (Indian Mujahideen co-founder) Riyaz Bhatkal, and the two of us know the terrain of this city very well," Naseer said.