29 September 2008 western India bombings
Encyclopedia
In the 29 September 2008 Western India bombings, three bombs exploded in the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra of India
killing 8 persons and injuring 80. Two bombs went off in Malegaon
, Maharashtra
, which killed seven people while another blast in Modasa
, Gujarat resulted in the death of one person.
in Jaipur
killed 63. Since then, other major Indian cities including Bangalore
, Ahmedabad
and Delhi have been targeted.
On 29 September 2008, police in Ahmedabad, Gujarat foiled another terror attack when 17 bombs were found and defused. However, a low-intensity bomb exploded at a market packed with Muslim
s breaking their Ramadan
fast
, killing one and wounding 15. Another bomb placed near a Temple
in Faridabad
was found and defused. Furthermore, the bombs were purportedly similar to those that exploded in Delhi
two days before this attack.
The explosions in Malegaon and Modasa took place on the eve of Navratri, a major Hindu
festival celebrated across India.
motorcycle and rigged to detonate. Both blasts were said to be of low intensity.
There had been confusion earlier about what had caused the blast with some suggesting that it was caused by an accidental explosion of a gas cylinder. But the police later confirmed that the blast was a terrorist attack.
The Modera blasts, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old boy, as well as several others injured, was a result of a low-intensity bomb kept on a motorcycle went off near a mosque at the Muslim-dominated Sukka Bazaar. The incident took place around 21:26 when special Ramzan prayers (tarawih
) were being offered inside the mosque.
Amidst rising security concerns, Gujarat plans to deploy police in heavy numbers during the garba
festivities.
deployed Anti Terrorism Squad to assist the local investigating authorities in Malegaon. Police say that unsophisticated, crude bombs, identical to those that detonated in Delhi 3 days ago, were used. The investigation was led by Mumbai Anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare
, who was later killed in the 2008 Mumbai Attacks
.
Police across India, especially in Delhi, received a number of hoax
calls and SMS
es, hampering the investigation.
On 5 October police said they had arrested a man in connection to the bombings. PTI
reported that further investigations were under way, with more arrests expected.
, Shiv Narayan Gopal Singh Kalsanghra and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu. All three were produced before the Nashik Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, which had remanded them to police custody till 3 November. This follows from an earlier claim by the Maharashtra ATS that Hindu groups were behind the blasts. The ATS breakthrough came through the motorcycle used in the blast, which was traced to the owner in Surat who was said to have had Hindutva links. The ATS added that this group could also be behind the blast in Modasa, Gujarat.
Adding to this suspicion, the name of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP) came up during investigations after a bike was found near the blasts site in Malegaon, though there was no mention of organisation's involement in issue. However, the bike allegedly belonged to Pragya Singh Thakur
, who had been an ABVP activist in 1997, but sold the bike before she took to a spiritual quest. Sunil Bansal, regional organizing secretary of the ABVP, said: "First ATS mentioned the possibility of Vidyarthi Parishad and VHP being involved in the blasts and then the matter was also raised in Rajya Sabha by a Congress MP. But ABVP is in no way involved in the blasts. ABVP has even demanded that there should be a proper inquiry and ATS should come out with an evidence and not talk without any basis. They don't have any proof against any ABVP activist." After the arrest of three Hindus, a Hindu group Sri Ram Sena
, offered legal assistance to the accused. SRS had recently been in news for allegedly vandalising an M F Husain
exhibition in Delhi, as well as for attacking churches in Karnataka. The SRS said the three accused were being made "political victims" by the Congress to hide its own inadequacies. General secretary, Binay Singh, said: "The Maharashtra government is raking up the Malegaon blast issue to divert attention from the hooliganism of Raj Thackeray while in the Centre the government is looking for an issue to cover up the Batla House encounter incident." Additionally, Bharatiya Janashakti
president Uma Bharti
also defended Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur
, saying: "Pragya had been a disciple of Maharaj Avdesh Anand and there was no way in which she could be part of any violent activity."
On 25 October, two more persons, suspected ex-army personnel, were also questioned in Pune in connection with the Malegaon blast Mumbai.
Two days later, the total arrest count mounted to 7 when the ATS took in Sameer Kulkarni from Bhopal and Sangram Singh from Indore for questioning. According to the ATS, these arrests brought to light the workings of two groups, Rashtriya Jagran Manch
and Abhinav Bharat
, the latter of which the latest arrests are said to be office bearers.
The director-general of Madhya Pradesh police had on confirmed that Kulkarni was picked up by Maharasthra ATS for questioning from Indore. A Maharashtra police office said that the "Investigations have revealed that Kulkarni is the planner of the Malegaon blast." Having moved to Indore 4 years ago he was said to be in touch with a colonel and a major — both retired. The officer added "He had sought their help on the use of explosives and its procurement. The two retired armymen would be arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy." Accordingly he was said to have hatched the blast in conspiracy with the sadhvi two others, who were already arrested in connection with the blast. The Additional Commissioner (ATS), Sukhwinder Singh, said Sameer Kulkarni and Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay were part of an alleged "larger conspiracy,." without elaborating what the conspiracy, or the basis for it, was. A serving lieutenant colonel in the army also came under the scanner for his alleged role in the blasts. It was reported that the army had allowed police to go ahead and question him. On 31 October more revelations were made as ATS sources said the interrogation of Kulkarni revealed a Bangladeshi link to the terror strike. Kulkarni was believed to have said at least 15 to 20 Bangladeshi nationals were part of Abhinav Bharat. He has also revealed that the Bangladeshi members were also present in a number of meetings held to hatch the plot, which was planned as retaliation for the Ahmedabad blasts in July 2008. Kulkarni was believed to have started a new social organisation called Abhinav Bharat Sansthan.
On 28 October, the Shiv Sena
, in Saamna, came out in support of the accused saying the arrests were merely political in nature. Lending credence to this, party chief, Uddhav Thackeray
, pointed out a potential conflict interest in political rivalry as the Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) controlled the relevant ministry. His editorial also condemned an attack by NCP party workers on a VHP office in Nashik following the arrest of the sadhvi. Allegations arose that the sadhvi was framed for the blast. Even the firebrand leader of the Bhartiya Janshakti Party, Uma Bharti had expressed shock that the BJP and the broader sangh parivar
grouping were "disowning" the sadhvi, who is alleged to be linked with the Hindu Jagaran Manch. As the polticized wrangling developed, the Hindu Mahasabha decided to provide legal aid to the suspects from Pune — Upadhyay and Kulkarni — while the umbrella organization, Abhinav Bharat, of which the two are members. The national president of the Mahasabha, Himani Savarkar, also based in Pune, confirmed this. This comes following a refusal but the two to hire lawyers when produced before the Nashik court. The broader organization of Hindutva
groups were seen to come together when the BJP supported the Shiv Sena
's move of extending legal aid to the suspects. The BJP said there was nothing wrong in using "private funds" for "helping" someone. Party spokesperson, Prakash Javadekar, said: "We have no objection to Shiv Sena's announcement of extending legal aid to Malegaon blast suspects. For that matter even RSS has promised help. It is not wrong for private funds to be utilised for helping someone. It is everyone's right." He added that the party's stand is the same from day one, no one should be discriminated on the basis of religion, caste or sex. The politiking behind the investigation picked up as the probe spread to Uttar Pradesh. The ATS claimed a "high profile leader" from the area may be involved in financing the attack. To this end, BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, dared the Mumbai ATS to accuse him of being the said leader. The ATS then filed an application in a Mumbai court seeking permission to interrogate the hitherto unnamed person, as well as to obtain the cooperation of the UP government in doing so. The UP ATS, however, denied that its Mumbai counterpart had asked for any assistance in netting the alleged accused. UP CM Mayawati convened her a high-level meeting of her government to discuss the matter. As yet there was mere speculation that the leader may be the firebrand Adityanath, or even his close associate and BJP MLA from the same town, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. BJP leader, Venkaiah Naidu
then came out firing as he said the Maharashtra ATS should speak publicly about the blasts case only when the investigations were complete. He also went and accused the Congress, as the blame game continued, in saying that it was Congress that gave rise to Bhindranwale in Punjab and supported ULFA in Assam. On the same day the BJP parliamentary leader, L. K. Advani also accused the ATS of acting in a politically motivated and unprofessional manner as he alleged that "It has become clear that the ATS is acting in a politically-motivated and unprofessional manner. After going through her (Thakur) affidavit.I have to express my shock and outrage, which I am sure all Indians will share. In view of the shocking charges made against the ATS by the Sadhvi (sic) and the fact that the present investigating team has lost all moral authority, I demand a change in the present ATS team and a judicial inquiry be ordered to probe the charges made by Sadhvi Pragya and the manner in which unsubstantiated allegations have been made against army personnel.After going through her affidavit detailing how she was physically and psychologically tortured and abused in obscene languages by her interrogators, I have to express my shock and outrage. I cannot believe that such barbaric treatment has been meted out to a spiritual person, that too, a woman in a country that prides itself on its democracy and rule of law." A Shiv Sena activist then filed a PIL
in the Bombay High Court
, in order to see the investigation handed over to the Maharashtra CID
, and to see action taken against Anti-Terrorism Squad for "ill treating" sadhvi Thakur and botching the handling of the case. In response to the whole imbroglio, the Indian Ariculture Minister and NCP
supremo Sharad Pawar described the BJP as "unpatriotic" when he said that "The police have started investigating...If any political party takes objection, it is unfair and unpatriotic. Why should we interfere in the process of investigations?"
The Maharashtra ATS also visited Vadodara
, Gujarat as part of their investigations into the attack. Officials of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Vadodara police, also a part of the investigation, said the visiting team had specific information about possible links between the Malegaon blast and city.
On 4 November, the case heated up with the arrest of serving Lieutenant Colonel
Prasad Shrikant Purohit
, who was sent to police custody till 15 November. A court also sanctioned a narco analysis test. In response, the Army's deputy chief, Lt. Gen SPS Dhillon, said that no one will be spared if found guilty, and that action will be taken according to the chargesheet given to them by the ATS. He added that "The arrest of Purohit has dented the image of Army."
He is alleged to have come into contact with Abhinav Bharat or Major Upadhyaya, another armyman, during his postings with in Nashik and Pune sometime in 2004-2005. He was found in Panchmarhi, learning Arabic; while call records between him and Upadhyaya around the time of the Malegaon blasts and beyond were said to be incriminating. It later emerged that he, along with the sadhvi, may be connected to the Samjhauta Express bombings. Indian Defence Minister
AK Antony, expressed serious concern over the alleged involvement of a serving Army officer in the attack saying all necessary action would be taken against him by the Defence Ministry on the basis of the investigative report. He said: "This incident is a matter of serious concern for all of us. We are very determined to go to the root of the whole thing. We are awaiting the (Maharashtra police) report (in the case).We will take all necessary action on the basis of the report. On the part of the Army, without any hesitation, they are fully assisting and cooperating with the investigating agencies. We are waiting for a report from the Maharashtra police and I can tell you, we are taking it seriously." As the Army came under fire for allowing the civilian police service to investigate a serving officer, the army came out in strong defence of its record. Facing the possibility of reports of at least three more Army men under scrutiny, the Maharashtra government denied such allegation in going under a damage control exercise. Deputy chief minister, RR Patil, responded to the media allegations in saying, "Please don’t malign the Army. Nor is there an intention to defame the Army." He added that tt was improper to tarnish the reputation of "our Forces" because a single "bad" officer had been detected. It was claimed that the ATS jumped to a conclusion in "utter haste without ascertaining the intelligence they have collected about the tainted Army officer who belonged to [the] Intelligence Wing." The ATS counter-contended that they had sought permission from the Army Headquarters to question at least three more officers. The Defense Minister added that "We are waiting for a report, the Army will extend full cooperation. The Intelligence Bureau is investigating it." Among those who could be questioned, based on the interrogation of the retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, was a Colonel based in Deolali and a Major. To add to the confusion reports also said Purohit had been put under a "Discipline Vigilance" ban where he would not be sacked unless a court of law finds him guilty. Purohit's remand in police custody by a magisterial court was in connection with alleged forgery in procuring a gun from the military, not with the as yet investigate terror case. His defense opposed the prosecutions' plea for a seven-day remand for further investigations, instead saying the ATS was trying to implicate him in a false case by threatening Milind Date. (the alleged supplier of the gun) His counsel
further alleged that Purohit, with a distinguished service record in the army, was being victimised for political reasons and that he could even be eliminated by the ATS because of the possession of intelligence data
of a sensitive nature pertaining to SIMI and ISI operations, which could embarrass some quarters.
Another major and controversial breakthrough came on 14 November when the ATS arrested the Varanasi-native Dayanand Pandey, alias Sudhakar Dwivedi, who heads the Sharda Sarvagya Peeth. He was arrested in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh even though his exact role in the blast was not clear. The ATS then planned to go to Jammu to continue investigations of a possible wider net. It was reported that he had visited Jammu as a state guest and got into the high-security Zeesthadevi Temple near Raj Bhavan. He was apparently said to be in touch with Purohit, who led police to Pandey. Hemant Karkare
, chief of ATS, said: "We had got some photos, numbers and took help of UP police. He has not yet been arrested but will be if required after interrogation." In addition, another unnamed sadhvi was arrested by the Mumbai ATS from Surat
on 17 October in connection to the attack.
In January 2009, Indian police were questioning Hindu Rashtra Sene chief Pramod Muthalik
over his possible role in the attacks. He has been reportedly been videotaped saying "The Malegaon blast is just a glimpse of what we can do" and implying the bombings were intended to counter "oppression" against Hindus.
, came out with an allgedly scathing attack on the Gujarat government by saying it was not willing to nab the "real" culprits behind the blast even though the Congress MP from Sabarkantha, Madhusudan Mistry
, had pointed a finger at probable suspects.
He made the claim that the Gujarat Police had proved itself "useless" while it was heavily politicised in acting only on the orders issued by the Chief Minister’s Office. He based this on the lack of arrests in Modesa, Gujarat, while Maharashtra police had already made arrests in the Malegaon case. With the connection to Hindu suspects in Malegaon, he said he too suspected a similar hand in these blasts. He further alleged, "This proves that terror knows no religion and that it was a matter of concern that so far it was only one sided trend of targeting one community for suspicion and questioning."
In Gujarat, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, K K Mysorewala, who is heading the probe into the attack, said: "We have summoned some active ABVP members to record their statements to take our probe forward." He, however, refused to name those who have been summoned and the reason behind doing so. The Sabarkantha police have recorded statements from about 500-odd people uptil 28 October 2008. Mysorewala, pointed out that of the 500 people summoned for their statements 200 were associated with Hindutva
organizations like the RSS, ABVP, VHP and Bajrang Dal in Modasa. However, there has still been no lead. On 31 October, he exonerated the Malegoan accused from involvement in the Gujarat blasts. He said, "We have interrogated all the five who are currently in the custody of Mumbai police in connection with the Malegaon blast. None of them, however, are involved in the Modasa blast."
On 7 November, it was reported that clues may be emerging. The origin of a readymade Printed Circuit Board (PCB) used in the timer circuit of the bomb may yield greater clues and lead to arrests. Unlike assembled PCBs, the manufacture of a readymade PCB can be tracked with the help of its specific manufacturing design and serial number. Experts in the Physics Department of the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) in the Gujarat capital of Gandhinagar say the readymade PCB consists of two Philips Integrated Circuits (ICs), and some capacitors and resistors mounted on a circuit board in a particular order.
An expert involved with the case said that as a result of such moves "We have short-listed the names of some companies that manufacture PCBs of these types. The list had also been handed over to the Sabarkantha police and they are trying to track the final recipient of the PCB under examination. Though this can be a difficult task, it is not impossible."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
killing 8 persons and injuring 80. Two bombs went off in Malegaon
Malegaon
Malegaon is a city and a Municipal Corporation in the Nashik district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.Malegaon is one of the largest cities in northwest Maharashtra with an estimated population of 12 lakh to 14 lakh...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, which killed seven people while another blast in Modasa
Modasa
Modasa is a city and a municipality in Sabarkantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is an economic centre for agricultural exports, at both the provincial and national levels. As a centre for the surrounding villages, Modasa acts as a transportation hub for both residents and tourists,...
, Gujarat resulted in the death of one person.
Background
India witnessed a surge in terror attacks since May 2008 when a series of blasts13 May 2008 Jaipur bombings
The 13 May 2008 Jaipur bombings were a series of nine synchronized bomb blasts that took place within a span of fifteen minutes at locations in Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, and a tourist destination. A tenth bomb was found and defused. Official reports confirm 63 dead...
in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
killed 63. Since then, other major Indian cities including Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
and Delhi have been targeted.
On 29 September 2008, police in Ahmedabad, Gujarat foiled another terror attack when 17 bombs were found and defused. However, a low-intensity bomb exploded at a market packed with Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s breaking their Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
fast
FAST
-Primary meanings:Fast may refer to:* Fast as in high speed or velocity, may be used with anything that has a speed.* Fasting, abstaining from foodSlang:* Fast, a slang term for someone who is sexually promiscuous-Sports:...
, killing one and wounding 15. Another bomb placed near a Temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in Faridabad
Faridabad
Faridabad is a city in the south-east of Haryana state in northern India, in Faridabad district. It lies at 28º 25' 16" N Latitude and 77º 18' 28" E Longitude. The district shares its boundaries with the National Capital and Union Territory of Delhi to its north, Gurgaon district to the west and...
was found and defused. Furthermore, the bombs were purportedly similar to those that exploded in Delhi
27 September 2008 Delhi blast
The 27 September 2008 Delhi blast in India’s second largest metropolis left three people dead and twenty-three more injured. The explosion occurred at 14:15 IST, in Mehrauli’s flower market. Initially, there were reports of two persons, including a nine-year-old boy, being killed in the attack....
two days before this attack.
The explosions in Malegaon and Modasa took place on the eve of Navratri, a major Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
festival celebrated across India.
Blast
The Malegoan blast occurred near a hotel at Bhikku Chowk in Maharashtra. The bombs were allegedly fitted onto a Hero HondaHero Honda
Hero MotoCorp formerly Hero Honda is a motorcycle and scooter manufacturer based in India. Hero Honda started in 1984 as a joint venture between Hero Cycles of India and Honda of Japan. The company is the largest two wheeler manufacturer in India...
motorcycle and rigged to detonate. Both blasts were said to be of low intensity.
There had been confusion earlier about what had caused the blast with some suggesting that it was caused by an accidental explosion of a gas cylinder. But the police later confirmed that the blast was a terrorist attack.
The Modera blasts, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old boy, as well as several others injured, was a result of a low-intensity bomb kept on a motorcycle went off near a mosque at the Muslim-dominated Sukka Bazaar. The incident took place around 21:26 when special Ramzan prayers (tarawih
Tarawih
Tarawih refers to extra congregational prayers performed by Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadan. They are not compulsory; however, many Muslims pray these prayers in the night during Ramadan...
) were being offered inside the mosque.
Aftermath
CNN-IBN reported that after the blast a mob of 20,000 gathered near the blast site, following which the state of Maharashtra deployed Reserve Police Force to prevent any mob violence. The police brought the situation under control after a brief clash with the mob.Amidst rising security concerns, Gujarat plans to deploy police in heavy numbers during the garba
Garba (dance)
Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region. The name garba comes from the Sanskrit term Garbha and Deep . Many traditional garbas are performed around a central lit lamp or picture/statues of different avatars of Goddess Shakti...
festivities.
Investigation
Mumbai PoliceMumbai Police
The Mumbai Police is the police force of the city of Mumbai, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Mumbai. The department's motto is ""...
deployed Anti Terrorism Squad to assist the local investigating authorities in Malegaon. Police say that unsophisticated, crude bombs, identical to those that detonated in Delhi 3 days ago, were used. The investigation was led by Mumbai Anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare
Hemant Karkare
Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad. He was killed during the 2008 Mumbai attacks after being shot three times in the chest...
, who was later killed in the 2008 Mumbai Attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
.
Police across India, especially in Delhi, received a number of hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
calls and SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
es, hampering the investigation.
On 5 October police said they had arrested a man in connection to the bombings. PTI
Press Trust of India
Press Trust of India is the largest news agency in India. It is headquartered in Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 450 Indian newspapers and has a staff of about 2,000 writers spread across 150 offices nationwide...
reported that further investigations were under way, with more arrests expected.
Malegaon blasts
During investigation in Maharashtra, alleged evidence was made ascertaining the involvement of a Hindu group/s in the blasts. The three arrested were identified as Sadhvi Pragya Singh ThakurPragya Singh Thakur
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is an Indian woman accused of orchestrating the Malegaon blasts of 2008 and is currently awaiting trial.- Early life :...
, Shiv Narayan Gopal Singh Kalsanghra and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu. All three were produced before the Nashik Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, which had remanded them to police custody till 3 November. This follows from an earlier claim by the Maharashtra ATS that Hindu groups were behind the blasts. The ATS breakthrough came through the motorcycle used in the blast, which was traced to the owner in Surat who was said to have had Hindutva links. The ATS added that this group could also be behind the blast in Modasa, Gujarat.
Adding to this suspicion, the name of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad , is an all India student organization working in the field of education. ABVP was founded in 1948 and formally registered on 9 July 1949.-History:...
(ABVP) came up during investigations after a bike was found near the blasts site in Malegaon, though there was no mention of organisation's involement in issue. However, the bike allegedly belonged to Pragya Singh Thakur
Pragya Singh Thakur
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is an Indian woman accused of orchestrating the Malegaon blasts of 2008 and is currently awaiting trial.- Early life :...
, who had been an ABVP activist in 1997, but sold the bike before she took to a spiritual quest. Sunil Bansal, regional organizing secretary of the ABVP, said: "First ATS mentioned the possibility of Vidyarthi Parishad and VHP being involved in the blasts and then the matter was also raised in Rajya Sabha by a Congress MP. But ABVP is in no way involved in the blasts. ABVP has even demanded that there should be a proper inquiry and ATS should come out with an evidence and not talk without any basis. They don't have any proof against any ABVP activist." After the arrest of three Hindus, a Hindu group Sri Ram Sena
Sri Ram Sena
The Sri Ram Sena is a right-wing Hindu extremist group founded in the late 1960s by Kalki Ji Maharaj right hand Bal Thackeray, a former leader of the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Kalki Ji Maharaj is a devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan U.P....
, offered legal assistance to the accused. SRS had recently been in news for allegedly vandalising an M F Husain
M F Husain
Maqbool Fida Husain commonly known as MF, was an eminent painter of Indian origin, although a Qatari national at the time of his death. He has been widely regarded as the "Picasso of India" and has influenced a whole generation of artists in the country.Husain was associated with Indian modernism...
exhibition in Delhi, as well as for attacking churches in Karnataka. The SRS said the three accused were being made "political victims" by the Congress to hide its own inadequacies. General secretary, Binay Singh, said: "The Maharashtra government is raking up the Malegaon blast issue to divert attention from the hooliganism of Raj Thackeray while in the Centre the government is looking for an issue to cover up the Batla House encounter incident." Additionally, Bharatiya Janashakti
Bharatiya Janshakti Party
|The Bharatiya Janshakti Party was founded on 30 April 2006 in Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It was founded by Uma Bharati, a former leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party ....
president Uma Bharti
Uma Bharti
Uma Ragini Bharti , is an Indian politician. She was born in Tikamgarh District, Madhya Pradesh to a religious Lodhi Rajput family and from a very young age, started holding discourses on Indian Epics.Her father was an atheist...
also defended Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur
Pragya Singh Thakur
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is an Indian woman accused of orchestrating the Malegaon blasts of 2008 and is currently awaiting trial.- Early life :...
, saying: "Pragya had been a disciple of Maharaj Avdesh Anand and there was no way in which she could be part of any violent activity."
On 25 October, two more persons, suspected ex-army personnel, were also questioned in Pune in connection with the Malegaon blast Mumbai.
Two days later, the total arrest count mounted to 7 when the ATS took in Sameer Kulkarni from Bhopal and Sangram Singh from Indore for questioning. According to the ATS, these arrests brought to light the workings of two groups, Rashtriya Jagran Manch
Rashtriya Jagran Manch
Rashtriya Jagran Manch is a new Hindu organization. It was formed in 2007 by a breakaway group of RSS. It has been accused of involvement in Malegaon, Modasa and Kanpur blasts.This organisation is led by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur...
and Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat can refer to two organizations one of which is an Hindu nationalist organisation based mainly in Maharashtra in India. The Hindu nationalist organization gained prominence when its members were arrested for allegedly perpetrating the Malegoan bombing...
, the latter of which the latest arrests are said to be office bearers.
The director-general of Madhya Pradesh police had on confirmed that Kulkarni was picked up by Maharasthra ATS for questioning from Indore. A Maharashtra police office said that the "Investigations have revealed that Kulkarni is the planner of the Malegaon blast." Having moved to Indore 4 years ago he was said to be in touch with a colonel and a major — both retired. The officer added "He had sought their help on the use of explosives and its procurement. The two retired armymen would be arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy." Accordingly he was said to have hatched the blast in conspiracy with the sadhvi two others, who were already arrested in connection with the blast. The Additional Commissioner (ATS), Sukhwinder Singh, said Sameer Kulkarni and Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay were part of an alleged "larger conspiracy,." without elaborating what the conspiracy, or the basis for it, was. A serving lieutenant colonel in the army also came under the scanner for his alleged role in the blasts. It was reported that the army had allowed police to go ahead and question him. On 31 October more revelations were made as ATS sources said the interrogation of Kulkarni revealed a Bangladeshi link to the terror strike. Kulkarni was believed to have said at least 15 to 20 Bangladeshi nationals were part of Abhinav Bharat. He has also revealed that the Bangladeshi members were also present in a number of meetings held to hatch the plot, which was planned as retaliation for the Ahmedabad blasts in July 2008. Kulkarni was believed to have started a new social organisation called Abhinav Bharat Sansthan.
On 28 October, the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
, in Saamna, came out in support of the accused saying the arrests were merely political in nature. Lending credence to this, party chief, Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray is the executive president of the Shiv Sena, a right wing, Marathi ethnocentric regional political party based in the Indian state of Maharashtra...
, pointed out a potential conflict interest in political rivalry as the Nationalist Congress Party
NCP
-Politics:* National Coalition Party in Finland.* National Congress, known as the National Congress Party, a Sudanese political party* Nationalist Congress Party, an Indian political party...
(NCP) controlled the relevant ministry. His editorial also condemned an attack by NCP party workers on a VHP office in Nashik following the arrest of the sadhvi. Allegations arose that the sadhvi was framed for the blast. Even the firebrand leader of the Bhartiya Janshakti Party, Uma Bharti had expressed shock that the BJP and the broader sangh parivar
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
grouping were "disowning" the sadhvi, who is alleged to be linked with the Hindu Jagaran Manch. As the polticized wrangling developed, the Hindu Mahasabha decided to provide legal aid to the suspects from Pune — Upadhyay and Kulkarni — while the umbrella organization, Abhinav Bharat, of which the two are members. The national president of the Mahasabha, Himani Savarkar, also based in Pune, confirmed this. This comes following a refusal but the two to hire lawyers when produced before the Nashik court. The broader organization of Hindutva
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
groups were seen to come together when the BJP supported the Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
's move of extending legal aid to the suspects. The BJP said there was nothing wrong in using "private funds" for "helping" someone. Party spokesperson, Prakash Javadekar, said: "We have no objection to Shiv Sena's announcement of extending legal aid to Malegaon blast suspects. For that matter even RSS has promised help. It is not wrong for private funds to be utilised for helping someone. It is everyone's right." He added that the party's stand is the same from day one, no one should be discriminated on the basis of religion, caste or sex. The politiking behind the investigation picked up as the probe spread to Uttar Pradesh. The ATS claimed a "high profile leader" from the area may be involved in financing the attack. To this end, BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath, dared the Mumbai ATS to accuse him of being the said leader. The ATS then filed an application in a Mumbai court seeking permission to interrogate the hitherto unnamed person, as well as to obtain the cooperation of the UP government in doing so. The UP ATS, however, denied that its Mumbai counterpart had asked for any assistance in netting the alleged accused. UP CM Mayawati convened her a high-level meeting of her government to discuss the matter. As yet there was mere speculation that the leader may be the firebrand Adityanath, or even his close associate and BJP MLA from the same town, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. BJP leader, Venkaiah Naidu
Venkaiah Naidu
M. Venkaiah Naidu is an Indian politician. From 2002 to 2004, he was the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is currently the opposition party in the Parliament of India. He resigned on October 18, 2004 and was succeeded by L.K...
then came out firing as he said the Maharashtra ATS should speak publicly about the blasts case only when the investigations were complete. He also went and accused the Congress, as the blame game continued, in saying that it was Congress that gave rise to Bhindranwale in Punjab and supported ULFA in Assam. On the same day the BJP parliamentary leader, L. K. Advani also accused the ATS of acting in a politically motivated and unprofessional manner as he alleged that "It has become clear that the ATS is acting in a politically-motivated and unprofessional manner. After going through her (Thakur) affidavit.I have to express my shock and outrage, which I am sure all Indians will share. In view of the shocking charges made against the ATS by the Sadhvi (sic) and the fact that the present investigating team has lost all moral authority, I demand a change in the present ATS team and a judicial inquiry be ordered to probe the charges made by Sadhvi Pragya and the manner in which unsubstantiated allegations have been made against army personnel.After going through her affidavit detailing how she was physically and psychologically tortured and abused in obscene languages by her interrogators, I have to express my shock and outrage. I cannot believe that such barbaric treatment has been meted out to a spiritual person, that too, a woman in a country that prides itself on its democracy and rule of law." A Shiv Sena activist then filed a PIL
PIL
PIL may refer to:* Private International Law* Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport , in Pilar, Paraguay* Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport , in Port Isabel, Texas...
in the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
, in order to see the investigation handed over to the Maharashtra CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, and to see action taken against Anti-Terrorism Squad for "ill treating" sadhvi Thakur and botching the handling of the case. In response to the whole imbroglio, the Indian Ariculture Minister and NCP
Nationalist Congress Party
The Nationalist Congress Party is a centre to centre left political party primarily based in the state of Maharashtra, India.-Background:...
supremo Sharad Pawar described the BJP as "unpatriotic" when he said that "The police have started investigating...If any political party takes objection, it is unfair and unpatriotic. Why should we interfere in the process of investigations?"
The Maharashtra ATS also visited Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
, Gujarat as part of their investigations into the attack. Officials of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Vadodara police, also a part of the investigation, said the visiting team had specific information about possible links between the Malegaon blast and city.
On 4 November, the case heated up with the arrest of serving Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Prasad Shrikant Purohit
Prasad Shrikant Purohit
Lt. Col. Shrikant Prasad Purohit is an Indian Army officer who is accused of charges of terrorism, as the alleged chief architect of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings. The attack took place on the Samjhauta Express, a train that connects Lahore, Pakistan with Delhi, the capital of India...
, who was sent to police custody till 15 November. A court also sanctioned a narco analysis test. In response, the Army's deputy chief, Lt. Gen SPS Dhillon, said that no one will be spared if found guilty, and that action will be taken according to the chargesheet given to them by the ATS. He added that "The arrest of Purohit has dented the image of Army."
He is alleged to have come into contact with Abhinav Bharat or Major Upadhyaya, another armyman, during his postings with in Nashik and Pune sometime in 2004-2005. He was found in Panchmarhi, learning Arabic; while call records between him and Upadhyaya around the time of the Malegaon blasts and beyond were said to be incriminating. It later emerged that he, along with the sadhvi, may be connected to the Samjhauta Express bombings. Indian Defence Minister
Minister of Defence (India)
The Minister of Defence is the head of the Ministry of Defence and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India.-List of Cabinet Ministers of Defence :* Baldev Singh * Kailash Nath Katju * V. K...
AK Antony, expressed serious concern over the alleged involvement of a serving Army officer in the attack saying all necessary action would be taken against him by the Defence Ministry on the basis of the investigative report. He said: "This incident is a matter of serious concern for all of us. We are very determined to go to the root of the whole thing. We are awaiting the (Maharashtra police) report (in the case).We will take all necessary action on the basis of the report. On the part of the Army, without any hesitation, they are fully assisting and cooperating with the investigating agencies. We are waiting for a report from the Maharashtra police and I can tell you, we are taking it seriously." As the Army came under fire for allowing the civilian police service to investigate a serving officer, the army came out in strong defence of its record. Facing the possibility of reports of at least three more Army men under scrutiny, the Maharashtra government denied such allegation in going under a damage control exercise. Deputy chief minister, RR Patil, responded to the media allegations in saying, "Please don’t malign the Army. Nor is there an intention to defame the Army." He added that tt was improper to tarnish the reputation of "our Forces" because a single "bad" officer had been detected. It was claimed that the ATS jumped to a conclusion in "utter haste without ascertaining the intelligence they have collected about the tainted Army officer who belonged to [the] Intelligence Wing." The ATS counter-contended that they had sought permission from the Army Headquarters to question at least three more officers. The Defense Minister added that "We are waiting for a report, the Army will extend full cooperation. The Intelligence Bureau is investigating it." Among those who could be questioned, based on the interrogation of the retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, was a Colonel based in Deolali and a Major. To add to the confusion reports also said Purohit had been put under a "Discipline Vigilance" ban where he would not be sacked unless a court of law finds him guilty. Purohit's remand in police custody by a magisterial court was in connection with alleged forgery in procuring a gun from the military, not with the as yet investigate terror case. His defense opposed the prosecutions' plea for a seven-day remand for further investigations, instead saying the ATS was trying to implicate him in a false case by threatening Milind Date. (the alleged supplier of the gun) His counsel
Counsel
A counsel or a counselor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.-U.K. and Ireland:The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law, and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers...
further alleged that Purohit, with a distinguished service record in the army, was being victimised for political reasons and that he could even be eliminated by the ATS because of the possession of intelligence data
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
of a sensitive nature pertaining to SIMI and ISI operations, which could embarrass some quarters.
Another major and controversial breakthrough came on 14 November when the ATS arrested the Varanasi-native Dayanand Pandey, alias Sudhakar Dwivedi, who heads the Sharda Sarvagya Peeth. He was arrested in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh even though his exact role in the blast was not clear. The ATS then planned to go to Jammu to continue investigations of a possible wider net. It was reported that he had visited Jammu as a state guest and got into the high-security Zeesthadevi Temple near Raj Bhavan. He was apparently said to be in touch with Purohit, who led police to Pandey. Hemant Karkare
Hemant Karkare
Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad. He was killed during the 2008 Mumbai attacks after being shot three times in the chest...
, chief of ATS, said: "We had got some photos, numbers and took help of UP police. He has not yet been arrested but will be if required after interrogation." In addition, another unnamed sadhvi was arrested by the Mumbai ATS from Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
on 17 October in connection to the attack.
In January 2009, Indian police were questioning Hindu Rashtra Sene chief Pramod Muthalik
Pramod Muthalik
Pramod Muthalik is the chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, the parent organization of the Sri Ram Sena. He was born in 1963 to a Marathi family in Hukkeri in the Belgaum district of Karnataka, close to the border with Maharashtra.After the 2009 Mangalore pub attack, where women were beaten Pramod...
over his possible role in the attacks. He has been reportedly been videotaped saying "The Malegaon blast is just a glimpse of what we can do" and implying the bombings were intended to counter "oppression" against Hindus.
Modasa blasts
Union Textiles Minister, Shankersinh VaghelaShankersinh Vaghela
Shankersinh Vaghela was a Rajput member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India and served as the Union Cabinet Minister of Textiles from 2004 to 2009. He represented the Kapadvanj constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Indian National Congress. He was also Chief Minister of Gujarat from 1996 to...
, came out with an allgedly scathing attack on the Gujarat government by saying it was not willing to nab the "real" culprits behind the blast even though the Congress MP from Sabarkantha, Madhusudan Mistry
Madhusudan Mistry
Madhusudan Devram Mistry is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Sabarkantha constituency of Gujarat and is a member of the Indian National Congress.-External links:*...
, had pointed a finger at probable suspects.
He made the claim that the Gujarat Police had proved itself "useless" while it was heavily politicised in acting only on the orders issued by the Chief Minister’s Office. He based this on the lack of arrests in Modesa, Gujarat, while Maharashtra police had already made arrests in the Malegaon case. With the connection to Hindu suspects in Malegaon, he said he too suspected a similar hand in these blasts. He further alleged, "This proves that terror knows no religion and that it was a matter of concern that so far it was only one sided trend of targeting one community for suspicion and questioning."
In Gujarat, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, K K Mysorewala, who is heading the probe into the attack, said: "We have summoned some active ABVP members to record their statements to take our probe forward." He, however, refused to name those who have been summoned and the reason behind doing so. The Sabarkantha police have recorded statements from about 500-odd people uptil 28 October 2008. Mysorewala, pointed out that of the 500 people summoned for their statements 200 were associated with Hindutva
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
organizations like the RSS, ABVP, VHP and Bajrang Dal in Modasa. However, there has still been no lead. On 31 October, he exonerated the Malegoan accused from involvement in the Gujarat blasts. He said, "We have interrogated all the five who are currently in the custody of Mumbai police in connection with the Malegaon blast. None of them, however, are involved in the Modasa blast."
On 7 November, it was reported that clues may be emerging. The origin of a readymade Printed Circuit Board (PCB) used in the timer circuit of the bomb may yield greater clues and lead to arrests. Unlike assembled PCBs, the manufacture of a readymade PCB can be tracked with the help of its specific manufacturing design and serial number. Experts in the Physics Department of the Directorate of Forensic Sciences (DFS) in the Gujarat capital of Gandhinagar say the readymade PCB consists of two Philips Integrated Circuits (ICs), and some capacitors and resistors mounted on a circuit board in a particular order.
An expert involved with the case said that as a result of such moves "We have short-listed the names of some companies that manufacture PCBs of these types. The list had also been handed over to the Sabarkantha police and they are trying to track the final recipient of the PCB under examination. Though this can be a difficult task, it is not impossible."