Sri Ram Sene chief, Pramod Muthalik, whose outfit was behind the attack on a Mangalore pub. has denied knowing any of the persons wanted for their alleged involvement in Malegaon blast, a senior Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad official said on Monday.
As Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria claimed a breakthrough in the 13/7 Mumbai blasts case on Monday he seems to have ruffled quite a few feathers. Though he junked out reports of a tiff with the special cell of the Delhi police in carrying out the probe, insiders say the arrests of the two Darbhanga operatives were an attempt by the ATS to gain an upper hand in the investigation.
An Enforcement Directorate official, who is an Indian Police Service officer and who once dealt with narcotics offences, has been arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad for allegedy trying to sell heroin in suburban Oshiwara.
Himani Savarkar, President of right-wing group Abhinav Bharat and a kin of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, was aware of the conspiracy hatched to carry out "activities" in Muslim-dominated Malegaon to avenge "atrocities" against Hindus but she kept mum, police sources said. She has admitted this in a statement given to Pune unit of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, which probed the September 29 blast in the communally-sensitive power loom town, the sources said.
"It has become clear that the ATS is acting in a politically-motivated and unprofessional manner. After going through her (sadhvi Pragya) affidavit, I have to express my shock and outrage, which I am sure all Indians will share," BJP leader L K Advani said during his one-day tour of the poll-bound BJP-ruled Chattisgarh state.
Abdul Sammad, who was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad from Mangalore in connection with an arms case and the Pune blast case, was finally released from a Mumbai jail on Sunday. Sammad, who was granted conditional bail by the sessions court almost three weeks ago, had continued to languish in jail as he could not find a guarantor.According to his uncle Muhammad Siddibapa, Sammad will have to appear in court once more and he will return to his home in Bhatkal.
Criminal lawyer Mubin Solkar has decided to defend Abdul Samad Bhatkal, the prime suspect in the Pune bomb blast, who has been arrested by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in a 2009 arms seizure case.
Seven years after the Mulund bomb blast, one more person suspected to be involved in triggering the explosion was arrested in Mumbai, Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad sources said on Monday.
The National Investigating Agency is unlikely to oppose the bail pleas of the nine accused arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case when they come up for hearing this week.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has got a breakthrough in the 13/7 Mumbai blasts case. The ATS team has zeroed in on the thief who stole the bike on which the explosive that triggered the Zaveri Bazaar blast was allegedly planted.
A Pune court has prohibited the broadcast of CCTV footage of the blast at German Bakery on February 13, to protect witnesses and ensure unhindered investigation.The court issued its directive on an application filed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh said. The order also applies to the CCTV footage from the five-star hotel adjacent to the site of the blast, he said. The toll due to the Pune blast has risen to 16.
Claiming it has got "very good" leads from the sketch of the suspect behind the July 13 serial blasts in Mumbai, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday indicated that the suspect hails either from the central or northern part of the country.
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, probing the July 13 serial blasts, is taking the assistance of a foreign firm to enhance quality of the CCTV footages recorded at the three locations, a senior police official said.
A case under Indian Penal Code Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 153A (promoting enmity between groups) as well as under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was registered in Kochi.
The special court also directed the ATS to hand over the custody of all the five accused to the NIA and also granted their transit remand to the central investigation agency, said public prosecutor (ATS) Vijay Fargade.
The Maharashtra Anti-terror Squad made a very important arrest in the Malegaon blast case late Monday night. Praveen Muthalik, who is said to be one of the executors of the blast was arrested and later remanded in police custody till February 14. He had been absconding for nearly two years.
Three personnel of Maharashtra's elite Anti-Terrorism Squad, who had gone to summon 13/7 Mumbai blasts accused Naquee Ahmed's brother, Taquee, were on Monday detained by the Delhi police.
The Abhinav Bharat President Himani Savarkar on Friday said Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad's contention that the Malegaon blast conspiracy was discussed in her presence by Lt Col Prasad Purohit in April 2008 in Bhopal, is a pack of lies.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against 11 people, including a serving army official and a sadhvi, for the 2007 Malegaon blasts, which killed seven people. Special MCOCA Judge Y D Shinde granted permission to the ATS to file the charge sheet, which was over 4,000 pages, against all the eleven accused.
It is incredible that the Sadhvi was kept in illegal detention for two weeks while she was tortured in a vicious manner which led to her hospitalisation. Polygraph and narco tests were conducted without her consent. Not even a female constable was present during her illegal confinement.
Abdul Samad Bhatkal, a prime suspect in the Pune German Bakery blast, was on Tuesday remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a local court in connection with a 2009 illegal arms seizure case. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, which had arrested Samad from Mangalore, on Tuesday did not seek his custody and told the court that Samad should be sent to judicial custody.
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad said on Tuesday that Rs 4 lakh was deposited in the account of Mulund explosion accused Wazhul Kamar Khan, a few months before the blasts in the metropolis during 2002-2003.
The Mumbai ATS should investigate the blasts thoroughly and need not hesitate to have a second look at the Samjhauta Express explosions, but they should do it in a professional manner, not in a manner that adds to suspicions that the investigation has taken a pre-election political turn -- with the objective being to fix the Hindu nationalists and not to fix the terrorists, says B Raman
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad on Thursday arrested a man in Jammu and Kashmir for his alleged links with Junaid Mohammed, who is accused of recruiting terrorists for the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba, an official said.
A startling disclosure by arrested Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal -- that his outfit carried out a reconnaissance of nearly a dozen spots in Mumbai in August -- has prompted Maharashtra police to beef up security.
The low-intensity blast in Pune on Friday that left five people injured was "prima facie" a terror attack, Maharashtra ATS said today and registered a case against unknown persons in connection with the incident.
Kavita Karkare, widow of former Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare who died fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, has been admitted to a hospital after she suffered brain haemorrhage and slipped into coma, police sources said.
Sources said the woman operated under the name of Zara Dasgupta and was in touch with Kurulkar.
The witness deposed before the special National Investigation Agency court on Tuesday.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday claimed that terror suspect Jaan Mohammad Sheikh, arrested along with five others by the Delhi police, had links with the 'D-Company' about 20 years back.
Jayant Naiknavare, deputy inspector general of police (VIP security), will replace Pandey as the Nashik police commissioner.
The agency also recovered an electronic circuit used in making explosives from the rented flat of the terror suspects in Pune's Kondhwa area along with 500 GB data from the devices, he said.
The ATS stated this in its chargesheet filed in a local court last week against five PFI members who were arrested last year for allegedly indulging in unlawful activities and waging a war against the country.
Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal on Thursday night, Thakur had claimed that Karkare died during the attacks as she 'cursed' him for torturing her.
Gangster Suresh Pujari, wanted in several extortion cases in Mumbai region and Karnataka, has been deported to India, a senior police official said on Wednesday.
The National Investigation Agency on Thursday told a Mumbai court it has found no evidence to link nine Muslims arrested in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case to the terror attack, a move that could see them walk free.
A cache of explosives, including two live hand-grenades, 28 cartridges, and five empty cases of firearms was found dumped in a garbage-carrying vehicle in the vicinity of Army Centre in Deolali Camp area near Nashik on Saturday, police said.
A simulated security scare situation was created wherein four "terrorists" entered the RSS building, the official said late night.
The NIA's chargesheet in the 2006 Malegaon blasts mocks the investigation conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad into the matter, reports Vicky Nanjappa
The Centre has rejected the Maharashtra government's proposal to ban right wing group Abhinav Bharat, which is accused of carrying out the bomb attack at Malegaon in 2008. The decision has been taken by the home ministry after it came to the conclusion that the group has not been involved in any terrorist or anti-national activity in recent years.