Times of India, 15 Nov 2008
Lt-Col Purohit gave RDX for Samjhauta blast: ATS to court
PTI
NASHIK: Serving Army officer Lt-Col P S Purohit procured 60 kg of RDX from Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2006, a part of which is suspected to have been used in Samjautha Express train explosion and Malegaon blasts, Maharashtra police told a court here on Saturday.
Seeking extension of police custody of Purohit, special prosecutor for Maharashtra ATS Ajay Misar told the court that a witness in Malegaon blast told ATS that Purohit had claimed he had 60 kgs of RDX in his possession which he had got from Jammu and Kashmir.
Purohit gave a portion of the RDX to one Bhagwan who is suspected to have used in Samjhauta Express blast, Misar said.
The RDX is also suspected to have been used in Malegaon bomb explosion on September 29 this year, due to which Purohit's interrogation is necessary, Misar told the court.
Purohit, arrested in connection with Malegaon blast, was on Saturday produced before a Nashik court, where ATS sought his further police custody in order to interrogate him thoroughly and the court granted it till November 18.
Purohit, who was with Military Intelligence, had told the authorities that he had thrown RDX into the Jhelum river, the special counsel said.
However, it is suspected that he transported the RDX to Deolali in Nashik, he said.
The ATS also told the court that it was investigating the source of the RDX which Purohit had obtained.
Purohit is also alleged to have conducted an arms and explosives training camp for members of right wing organization Abhinav Bharat in Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh between October 16 and 21 2006, Misar said.
The public prosecutor told the court that they had found evidence of links between arrested Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Singh and religious leader Dayanand Pandey arrested in Kanpur.
The ATS has found during the course of the investigations that Pandey had introduced Purohit to Ramji Kalsangra who is wanted in the Malegaon blast, Misar said.
The court dismissed an application filed by Purohit's father-in-law alleging torture in police custody after the Army official denied it in the court. Medical records also did not show any evidence of physical torture.
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