Delhi Police to visit Mumbai to probe Thakur aide

Delhi Police teams will soon visit Gujarat and Maharashtra to investigate the activities of Shailendra Chauhan, a close associate of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur.

Chauhan was arrested last week from Nand Nagri, north-east Delhi, in connection with attacks on several churches in and around the capital last year and in January this year.

Thakur, a member of the fundamentalist group Abhinav Bharat, is a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast. “We may send teams to Maharashtra and Gujarat to get information on his terror activities,” a police officer said.

Chauhan is accused of vandalising several churches in the national capital region that includes Delhi and Noida. Noida Police have booked him for allegedly trying to kill the priest of a local church.
“We can’t say whether he was involved in the Malegaon blast. We’re questioning him,” DCP, special cell, Alok Kumar said. Delhi Police are in touch with their Maharashtra and Gujarat counterparts. “He’s a VHP member and has been involved in its activities for two years,” a police source said.