Hindu terror groups behind Malegaon and Modasa blasts

Hindu terror groups behind Malegaon and Modasa blasts

PTI/S.O. News, Friday, 24 October 2008:

The Maharashtra Police have picked up six Hindu activists, including Pragya Singh Thakur, an “extremely radical” sadhvi from Gujarat, in connection with the September 29 Ramzan blasts in Malegaon and Modasa.

It is said that Hindu extremist groups could be involved in the recent explosions in Malegaon and Modasa in Gujarat. According to the sources the suspects had links to the RSS student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The ABVP said Pragya was a member of its national executive in 1996-97 but added “she has had no contact with the organisation for the last one decade or so.”

Five Muslims were killed in a powerful blast in the communally sensitive textile town of Malegaon and one Muslim boy was killed in the explosion in Modasa in Sabarkantha district.

According to the PTI, Top police sources said in Indore here that in a very secret operation, Maharashtra police had taken three persons — Shyam Lal, Dilip Nahar and Dharmendra Bairagi– into custody from the city in Madhya Pradesh on October 19 in connection with a theft of a motorcycle for assisting in the probe into the explosions.

Later, they were taken to Mumbai where their interrogation was going on in connection with bomb blasts in Malegaon in Maharashtra, the sources said.

Maharashtra police suspects that the trio had stolen the motorcycle which was used for Malegaon blasts in which five persons were killed.

It is the first time ever, the issue of Hindu groups being involved in the recent terror attacks in Gujarat and Maharashtra was brought up in Parliament on Thursday.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned following heated protests over the alleged involvement of Hindu “terrorist groups” in the explosions in Malegaon and Modasa on September 29.

Hindu groups have been accused of being involved in similar acts of terror in Maharashtra in the past, often with the support of their families

Samajwadi Party MP Rashid Alvi and the CPM’s Brinda Karat brought up the issue in the Upper House but the BJP reacted violently to the argument and raised slogans.

Hindu groups behind Malegaon blasts

S.O. News service, Thursday, 23 October 2008:

The Maharashtra ATS has claimed a breakthrough in the Malegaon blast of 29th September.

They claim that they have evidence that Hindu groups were involved in the blast.

Police sources say they have taken custody of certain individuals belonging to the group from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Evidence of a Hindu group’s involvement was found while tracing the origins of a scooter found in Malegaon.

Maharashta ATS sources now say that they are exploring the same angle to in the blast that happened in Modasa in Gujarat on the same day.

The police had initially suspected SIMI and other radical groups for the blast.

Meanwhile, a political war of words has broken out over Maharashtra Anti-Terror squad’s claims. The BJP says Hindu groups could not be involved in acts of terror, while the Congress says if there is evidence they will investigate it.

Malegaon, Modasa blast: Police probing right wing’s role

PTI, Thursday, 23 October 2008:

Mumbai: In a new twist to the blast at Malegaon and Modasa in Gujarat during Ramzan on September 29, Maharashtra police today said it was investigating the alleged involvement of a Hindu right wing group in the blasts.

“All aspects of the matter are being investigated and we cannot say presently if a particular organisation is behind it,” a senior Maharashtra police official said to a question if a Indore-based Hindu group was involved in the blasts.

Media reports today said suspects from a Indore-based Hindu extremist group known to have links to the BJP student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad had been taken in for questioning by the Maharashtra police.

“We are investigating the matter currently and will share the details of investigations at the appropriate time,” an ATS official said, without giving further details.

Home Minister R R Patil and DGP A N Roy declined to comment on the issue.

Five persons were killed in the Malegaon blast while one was killed in Modasa. In both the cases, bombs were placed on motorcycles parked in crowded area to cause maximum human casualty.

Reports said investigators had tracked down the right wing group while investigating origins of the motorcycle used in the Malegaon blast. However, officials refused to confirm this.

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