Ajmer blast suspects had no link with Malegaon case: ATS

Mateen Hafeez I TNN

Mumbai: The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) team that visited Rajasthan to quiz the suspects held for the blast at the Ajmer shrine have given them a clean chit in the 2008 Malegaon blast. One of the accused, arrested by the Rajasthan police, was in touch with Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur prior to the Malegaon blast, said sources in the ATS.

According to police, Ajmer shrine blast suspect, Devendra Gupta, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, was in touch with Sadhvi Thakur prior to the Malegaon blast in September 2009. However, the source said, they did not discuss any terror strike. Gupta was introduced to the sadhvi by the latter’s boyfriend, Sunil Joshi of Indore. Joshi was shot down in December 2007.

“The suspects in the Ajmer blast were quizzed thoroughly but we did not find any evidence to show that they had any links with the Malegaon blast which killed six and injured 101. It is true that Gupta knew sadhvi but there is no evidence to show that the Ajmer blast suspects played any role in the Malegaon blast. Therefore, we did not arrest them,’’ said an officer.

A bomb kept outside the shrine of sufi Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti went off on October 11, 2007, killing three and injuring 30.

The Maharashtra police also questioned shrine blast suspect, Vishnu Patidra, an Abhinav Bharat member, but did not find any evidence of his involvement in the Malegaon blast too. “Our visit to Rajasthan was fruitful. We got much more information on many things than we expected but as of now, we can say that no link between Ajmer and Malegaon blast has been established,’’ the source said.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra ATS is still hunting for three suspects, wanted in the Malegaon blast case.

The Times of India, May 20, 2010