Malegaon blasts key man was in Mumbai cops’ custody: NIA

Hindu Terrorist Claimed Role In Attack But Was Ignored: Agency

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has debunked the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad theory on the 2006 Malegaon blasts and said that the prime conspirator, Shabbir Masiullah, was taken into custody by the Mumbai crime branch before the blasts occurred.

The NIA also said that Zahid Majeed, whom the ATS had named as one of the accused who planted the bombs, was not present on the spot but was in Yavatmal during the time of the blasts.

The ATS had arrested nine Muslim youths for planting the bombs and charged them under attempt to murder, and invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). While seven of the nine men were released on bail after serving over five years in prison, two are still incarcerated as they are accused in the 7/11 Mumbai local train blasts as well.

In its chargesheet, the NIA said its investigations showed that the entire conspiracy was hatched and carried out by Hindu terror operatives. It said the four bombs used to kill 31 people were assembled at Sarvasampann Nagar in Indore and transported to Malegaon in state buses by Manohar Narwaria, Ramchandra Kalsangara, Dhan Singh and Rajendra Chaudhary. Of the four, Kalsangara alias Badal Yadav is absconding.

The NIA, however, has not invoked MCOCA against the Hindu terror operatives, making it easy for the accused to get bail. The NIA said Manohar Narwaria alias Sumer Thakur, Chaudhary, Dhan Singh and Lokesh Sharma along with Kalsangara, Sandeep Dange and Amit Hakla had done a reconnaissance of Malegaon thrice.

“They were making preparatory acts to commit terror acts by arranging and imparting training in operating fire arms and assembling bombs at Bagli, Devas (MP), in 2006 to a group of persons, to commit terror acts at various Muslim religious places in India,” the chargesheet said.

The NIA said the bombs were manufactured by Kalsangara, Dhan Singh, Sharma and Hakla during June and July 2006. “The third recce of Malegaon was done on September 1, 2006, the spot was finalized and the accused decided to plant four bombs. A day before the blasts, Kalsangara, Singh, Narwaria and Chaudhry started from Indore with bombs in state transport buses and reached Malegaon next morning. Four bombs were kept in two metallic boxes covered in two bags,” the chargesheet said.

The agency further said that in Malegaon, Narwaria and Chaudhary bought bicycles in the name of Sumer Thakur and Badal Yadav, respectively. “The bombs were fitted into the cycles at the bus station,” it said.

The NIA said that Narwaria and Kalsangara planted bombs at the Muslim cemetery while Chaudhary and Singh went to Mushawerat chowk with the bomb-laden cycle. After planting the bombs, they boarded a bus to Jalgaon and then to Indore.

In the meantime, Sharma went to Paharganj and made phone calls to some media houses, claiming the blasts were the handiwork of Dharmasena. But he did not get any response, the NIA said.



The Times of India, June 22, 2013