02 January,2009 08:23 AM IST | | Imran Gowhar
Dayanand Pandey
Dayanand Pandey says he is dying a slow death because of the humiliation by ATS
Dayanand Pandey alias Swami Amritanand Dev Teerth Maharaj, key accused in the Malegaon blast case, has alleged torture and humiliation at the hands of ATS officials.
Pandey also alleged that the officials threatened to kill him and cooked up evidence against him.
In a letter released through his mentor, Himani Savarkar, on December 31, 2008, Dayanand Pandey said the ATS officials threatened him often saying: "Here, we will kill you, outside, Muslims will kill you; you have to die in any case, so accept your crimes."
Narrating his experience, Pandey said the ATS officials forced him to memorise the answers for the questions and then subjected him to a narco-analysis test to create evidence against him.
Recalling his 17 days in ATS custody, Pandey said he was forced to sit inside an air-condition room in the nude for three days and was given electric shocks.
"The ATS officials threw the religious books that I had in a gutter and even coerced me to eat beef. They forced me to read certain scripts and recorded it. They later dubbed my voice and produced audio-video tapes," Pandey alleged.
"I was also threatened that pornographic CDs would be made about me, by computer simulation, to defame me in Hindu society, he alleged.
Pandey has sought permission from the President and the judiciary to allow him to commit suicide. "I am dying a slow death every second because of the humiliation and torture," Pandey wrote.
ATS officials say they have no knowledge about Pandey's letter and refuse to comment on it.
