The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday arrested Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit in connection with the September 29 Malegaon blasts, an ATS official said. Purohit was interrogated two days ago by the ATS in connection with the blasts in Malegaon and was arrested today, Additional Commissioner of Police (ATS) Parambir Singh said. Singh, however, refused to reveal Purohit's role in the blasts.
The Malegaon blasts case has opened the proverbial can of worms. After the alleged involvement of right wing Hindu fundamentalists, the arrest of Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit on Wednesday has managed to rattle the top brass of the government and the Indian Army.Several residents of this textile town in Maharashtra are now demanding another investigation in the 2006 serial blasts, which claimed 37 lives.
Lieutenant-Colonel Srikant Purohit,one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon case has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, alleging that the Maharashtra Anti Terrorrism Squad has fabricated the case against him.
Although these revelations are not directly connected to the ongoing investigations into the Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, Ajmer or Samjautha Express blasts case, investigating agencies are keen to find out more since it indicates that there was a clear split in the right-wing terror network.
Making it clear that Malegaon blast accused Colonel Srikant Purohit has no links with it, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set up an independent commission to probe an alleged plot to assassinate its chief Mohan Bhagwat by the former military intelligence officer and efforts to 'malign' the image of the Sangh.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Monday, did not name Lt Col Prasad Srikant Purohit as one of the main conspirators in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case. Purohit was earlier being considered as one of the main accused in the case, but NIA's revelation has brought in a new twist in the tale.
Some media reports have speculated on a possible link between Malegaon blast accused Lt Colonel Srikant Purohit and the Mecca Masjid blasts. However, the Hyderabad police maintain that they have not found any links so far. They say Purohit's remand application before the Nashik court makes no mention of the Mecca Masjid blasts.
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.
The laptop, handed over by the Army after a week of Purohit's arrest, was examined at a forensic laboratory during which, the probe agencies, claimed that he was often visiting anti-Muslim and jihadi websites, sources attached with the investigations said. But, the investigators did not get details about the composition about the saffron outfit -- Abhinav Bharat -- whose cadres are alleged to be behind the blast in Malegaon on September 29 which they were looking for.
The arrest of Hindu activists in connection with the Malegaon blast has put several investigating agencies on rewind mode. If the revelations by Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit are to be believed then several bomb blasts in the country need to be reinvestigated.
After reopening the probe into the Nanded blast of 2006, the Central Bureau of Investigation has recently taken custody of Army's tainted Lieutenant-Colonel, Srikant Purohit, and questioned him at length about his role in the incident.
Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan told newsmen in New Delhi that there was no political vendetta by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad investigating the Malegoan blasts in which sadhavi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit and some others have been picked up for interrogation.
All through the trial in the military court Colonel Purohit stated that every action of his was known to his superiors who had assigned him to undertake undercover operations.
Special NIA Judge V S Padalkar said conducting the trial in a "transparent manner" was among the reasons for rejecting the NIA's plea.
The extremist outfit has a tainted past and has been entangled in different legal cases for extortion, rioting and instigating violence
'Ram Sir was a creator of law. He has his stamp on every leading judgment in criminal law.'
However, the certified copy of the said order was issued by the court only on May 1, 2015.
Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora murder trial.
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