Two persons were picked up from Vapi and Pune by the Anti-Terrorist Squad in connection with the Malegaon blast probe amid concerns that more army officers may come under the scanner.
MUMBAI: Two persons were picked up from Vapi and Pune by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in connection with the Malegaon blast probe amid concerns that more army officers may come under the scanner. Leave records of arrested Lt Col P S Purohit have been given to the investigating agencies. Two serving Colonels may also face interrogation. There were reports that a retired Lt General may also be questioned but there was no official word on it. Earlier in the week, the Mumbai ATS questioned a person in Vapi to examine possible links that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur may have had with the Shabri Dham in the Dangs region of Gujarat. The ATS questioned Sunil Dahvad who had apparently met the Sadhvi at Shabri Dham, and was in regular telephonic contact.
The ATS team located Sunil with the help of the local police. He denied being in contact with her but was also unable to give satisfactory answers. Sunil worked as a driver in the ashram of Swami Asimanandji in Suber village, also in the Dangs and had quit his job some months ago, and began working as a gardener. The nine persons, including a Sadhvi and a serving army officer, arrested for their alleged involvement in the blast, could be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The ATS officials had said they were still on the lookout for a suspect identified as Ramji, who allegedly played a major role in the Malegaon blast. A Colonel who may be probed is posted in Deolali in Nashik while the Lt Colonel is based in Pune. Meanwhile, the army is contemplating action against Purohit under Section 21 B of the Army Act which prohibits military personnel from having any political affiliations. The ATS has taken permission to conduct brain mapping, polygraph and narco-analysis on Purohit but no schedule has been given to the Forensic Science Laboratory. Scientific tests have been conducted on the Sadhvi, former army officer Ramesh Upadhyay and senior member of Abhinav Bharat, Sameer Kulkarni.
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