3 suspects arrested by ATS for planning terror attacks

NP NEWS NETWORK 

Mumbai 

After raids at multiple locations, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday arrested three men affiliated to radical Hindu organisations. The ATS also claimed to have recovered huge cache of explosives, including live crude bombs and gelatin sticks, thus preventing major terror attacks at various places.

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The first to be arrested was Vaibhav Raut (40), allegedly a member of the Hindu Govansh Raksha Samiti, who is also said to be a sympathiser of the right wing Sanatan Sanstha.

Another accused, Sudhanva Gondhalekar (39) of Satara who lived in Pune, is a member of the Shri Shivapratishthan Hindustan, whose chief is Sambhaji Bhide. Bhide has been booked in criminal cases in connection with violence at Koregaon Bhima on January 1. The third accused, Sharad Kasalkar (25) was arrested along with Raut from Raut’s Nallasopara residence.

ATS officials claimed to have seized a note on how to make bomb from Kasalkar. Gondhalekar had trained the two other men assembling explosives.

ATS has arrested them for offences under relevant sections of the Explosive substance Act 1908, Explosive Act 1984, Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A total of 20 crude (desi) bombs were recovered from Raut, 8 from residence and 12 from his shop.

The other seized materials include 2 gelatin sticks, 4 electronic detonators, 22 non electronic detonators, safety fuse wires, White Powder Stick wrapped in news paper, 1 box with 10 batteries (6volts), Cutter and blades, Shouldering machines and equipments, 3 switches, 3 specific circuits (1 complete and 2 incomplete), battery connectors, 2 battery containers, 4 relay switches, 8 registers, 6 transistors, Some pieces of wires, Hand gloves, sticking material and Diagrams of wiring.

In Nallasopara, Raut lived in a two-storey bungalow with his wife and two children. According to a neighbour, Raut was a “gau rakshak” and was active in carrying out raids against beef traders for allegedly ferrying banned meat in the locality.

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While ATS said that the accused persons closely associated with Sanatan Sanstha whose members have been accused in the killings of four rationalists, the Sanstha has denied the three men are members. “Raut is not a seeker of Sanatan; however, he had been actively involved in numerous rallies and processions organised by devout Hindu organisations. Although Raut is not a seeker of Sanatan, we believe that any Hindu working for the cause of Hindutva and for Dharma, is Sanatan’s own. If the ATS officers can place RDX in the houses of devout Hindus, as has been seen in the Malegaon bomb blast case, what’s to say that the same has not been repeated in the case of Vaibhav Raut? There has been absolutely no evidence yet. Therefore, accusing Raut of being guilty would be hazardous”, stated a press release by Sanatan Sanstha.

ATS produced the accused before a special court seeking their 15 days police custody.

Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar representing the three accused claimed that the police had detained the men in illegal custody and conducted the raids without a warrant before the FIR was filed.

After hearing both sides, Special Judge Adkar sent the three men to police custody till August 18.