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Did Hindu radicals hire Muslims for Malegaon blast?
Deeptimaan Tiwary, TNN | Mar 25, 2012, 03.01AM IST
NEW DELHI: A fresh twist appears likely in the 2006 Malegaon blast investigations as the NIA (National Investigation Agency), now investigating the case, is beginning to suspect that Hindu fundamentalists might have used Muslim hands to execute the blast.
While a claim to the effect that Hindutva radicals behind the terrorist attack may have used Muslim hirelings was made by Swami Aseemand, inputs gathered by investigators appears to have led the agency to wonder whether what appeared to be an outlandish theory has some basis.
Four bombs exploded on September 8, 2006 in the powerloom township of Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district. The blasts claimed 37 lives and injured over a 100 people.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which investigated the case arrested nine Muslim men with alleged SIMI links, and had filed a 2,200 page chargesheet against them on December 22, 2006.
The case was later transferred to the CBI which subsequently more or less replicated the chargesheet of the state police, holding the jailed persons responsible for the alleged blast.
The arrests of Hindutva radicals in other terror cases where Muslims were the target upended the version of ATS, especially after Aseemanand "confessed" to his NIA interrogators that the attack was carried out by Abhivan Bharat as part of their plot to avenge the series of jehadi terror attacks aimed against Hindus. In November 2011, the accused were released on bail, with the government veering around to the view that they were innocent and victims of inept investigation. Prosecution did not oppose bail petitions.
The Centre transferred the Malegaon blast case to the NIA last year in the wake of Aseemanand's confession.
Although the accused, a Hindutva extremist engaged in opposing missionaries in Gujarat and elsewhere, has since retracted his "confession", inputs gathered by the investigators suggest that Swami's claim could not be just a red herring. "Aseemanand had confessed before a magistrate not once but twice that the group had been using Muslim hands for attacks. We are actively pursuing this line of investigation," said a senior official.
Importantly, ATS stands by its chargesheet, later endorsed by the CBI, against the accused who are now on bail. It had based its charge on the forensic evidence against Shabbir Batterywala. The ATS charge sheet mentions that the traces of RDX found at the blast spot had matched the traces of explosives found in the soil samples from Batterywala's godown in Malegaon.
Although NIA is not similarly sure about the "Muslim hand" theory, it believes that the demography of Muslim dominated Malegaon town would have made it difficult for a Hindu, that too one from outside, to plant a bomb near a mosque. "It is also a communally sensitive town. It is possible that Muslim mercenaries may have been used to plant the bomb to avoid suspicion," another NIA official said.
Aseemanand had made a mention of Muslim hands being used in the blasts while talking about Ajmer blast. He said: "Sunil (Joshi) told me that the blast in Ajmer (Ajmer Sharif dargah) had been conducted by his men. He told me that he was also there. I asked him who all were there with him. He told me there were two Muslim boys with him. When I asked him where he got Muslim boys from, he said they were sent to him by (RSS leader) Indresh Kumar."
The 2006 Malegaon case has had many twists and turns. A day before Maharashtra ATS filed its chargesheet in the case the state government transferred the case to CBI. The agency in its charge sheet seconded the findings of the ATS. However, after Aseemanand's confession, the case was reopened by CBI. In a matter of months, the case was again sent to NIA.
Did Hindu radicals hire Muslims for Malegaon blast? - The Times of India
Deeptimaan Tiwary, TNN | Mar 25, 2012, 03.01AM IST
NEW DELHI: A fresh twist appears likely in the 2006 Malegaon blast investigations as the NIA (National Investigation Agency), now investigating the case, is beginning to suspect that Hindu fundamentalists might have used Muslim hands to execute the blast.
While a claim to the effect that Hindutva radicals behind the terrorist attack may have used Muslim hirelings was made by Swami Aseemand, inputs gathered by investigators appears to have led the agency to wonder whether what appeared to be an outlandish theory has some basis.
Four bombs exploded on September 8, 2006 in the powerloom township of Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district. The blasts claimed 37 lives and injured over a 100 people.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which investigated the case arrested nine Muslim men with alleged SIMI links, and had filed a 2,200 page chargesheet against them on December 22, 2006.
The case was later transferred to the CBI which subsequently more or less replicated the chargesheet of the state police, holding the jailed persons responsible for the alleged blast.
The arrests of Hindutva radicals in other terror cases where Muslims were the target upended the version of ATS, especially after Aseemanand "confessed" to his NIA interrogators that the attack was carried out by Abhivan Bharat as part of their plot to avenge the series of jehadi terror attacks aimed against Hindus. In November 2011, the accused were released on bail, with the government veering around to the view that they were innocent and victims of inept investigation. Prosecution did not oppose bail petitions.
The Centre transferred the Malegaon blast case to the NIA last year in the wake of Aseemanand's confession.
Although the accused, a Hindutva extremist engaged in opposing missionaries in Gujarat and elsewhere, has since retracted his "confession", inputs gathered by the investigators suggest that Swami's claim could not be just a red herring. "Aseemanand had confessed before a magistrate not once but twice that the group had been using Muslim hands for attacks. We are actively pursuing this line of investigation," said a senior official.
Importantly, ATS stands by its chargesheet, later endorsed by the CBI, against the accused who are now on bail. It had based its charge on the forensic evidence against Shabbir Batterywala. The ATS charge sheet mentions that the traces of RDX found at the blast spot had matched the traces of explosives found in the soil samples from Batterywala's godown in Malegaon.
Although NIA is not similarly sure about the "Muslim hand" theory, it believes that the demography of Muslim dominated Malegaon town would have made it difficult for a Hindu, that too one from outside, to plant a bomb near a mosque. "It is also a communally sensitive town. It is possible that Muslim mercenaries may have been used to plant the bomb to avoid suspicion," another NIA official said.
Aseemanand had made a mention of Muslim hands being used in the blasts while talking about Ajmer blast. He said: "Sunil (Joshi) told me that the blast in Ajmer (Ajmer Sharif dargah) had been conducted by his men. He told me that he was also there. I asked him who all were there with him. He told me there were two Muslim boys with him. When I asked him where he got Muslim boys from, he said they were sent to him by (RSS leader) Indresh Kumar."
The 2006 Malegaon case has had many twists and turns. A day before Maharashtra ATS filed its chargesheet in the case the state government transferred the case to CBI. The agency in its charge sheet seconded the findings of the ATS. However, after Aseemanand's confession, the case was reopened by CBI. In a matter of months, the case was again sent to NIA.
Did Hindu radicals hire Muslims for Malegaon blast? - The Times of India