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ATS: Malegaon blast suspects part of larger conspiracy

Staff Reporter

Court nod for polygraph tests on duo

Mumbai: The two suspects, Sameer Kulkarni and Ramesh Upadhyay, arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the Malegaon blast were part of a “larger conspiracy,” said Additional Commissioner (ATS) Sukhwinder Singh at a press conference here on Wednesday.

However, he did not reveal what the “larger conspiracy” was stating that it was still being investigated.

The ATS briefing comes a day after Kulkarni, 34, and Upadhyay, 57, were arrested. They were produced at the Nashik court on Wednesday and were remanded to police custody till November 10.

Both the suspects are residents of Pune. Upadhyay is an ex-Army officer who retired in 1998.

“We will not share operational details and leads at the moment. The specific roles of the suspects will be shared later,” he said.

Denies torture charges

Mr. Singh refuted charges of torture of suspects. When journalists pointed out that Upadhyay had spoken about use of “third degree” method in the Nashik court, he categorically denied it.

The suspects have been charged under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (causing grievous injury by dangerous weapons), 120B (pertaining to criminal conspiracy), 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) and 130 (aiding escape of, rescuing or harbouring State prisoner) of the Indian Penal Code, and under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Explosives Act.

Upholds ATS’ plea

PTI reports from Nashik:

A court here ordered brain-mapping, narco analysis and polygraph tests on Upadhyay and Kulkarni.

Nashik’s civil judge P.G. Patil upheld Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad’s plea to subject the two to scientific tests and remanded both to 14-day police custody.

Arguing for the remand of Upadhyay, public prosecutor Ajay Misar said it was necessary to keep the accused in police custody for investigation by ATS as the forensic report had revealed use of explosives like RDX in the September 29 Malegaon blast.

Mr. Misar said there was communication between Upadhyay and Pragya Singh Thakur (a former office-bearer of BJP’s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), who is already in ATS custody till November 3.

Pleading before the court, Upadhyay denied the charges, including his meeting with Pragya Singh and his involvement in the blast and said: “I had shared dais with the sadhvi only once and did not have any communication with her for a long time since then.”

Upadhyay said: “I was in the Army and a patriot and would never involve in any anti-national activities.”

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