14 April,2009 11:43 AM IST | | Anshuman G Dutta
Rajasthan police clear Purohit and his group Abhinav Bharat in the 2007 Ajmer Sharif blast
The Rajasthan Police have given clean chit to Lt Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit in connection with the Ajmer Sharif blast which ripped through the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in October, 2007.
Investigations into the Ajmer Sharif blast had led the state police to Purohit, an alleged mastermind of the self-styled Hindu group Abhinav Bharat and a key accused in the Malegaon blast.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Umesh Mishra said, "We were investigating the case on the line that the blast was carried by Hijbul Mujahideen Al Islami (HUJI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM). The Rajasthan Police never investigated Colonel Purohit's role as the main suspect." He also gave a clean chit to Purohit's organisations.
Though HUJI emerged as one of the chief suspects behind the October 2007 Ajmer blast, IM had claimed responsibility.
According to sources, other than political gain, Col Purohit and Abhinav Bharat were brought under the scanner to divert attention from the real issue of terrorism in the state.
"As the General Elections are drawing near, it is just a plot to fulfill mutual interests," said a senior cop, wishing anonymity.
Though the Rajasthan Police have not been able to nab the real masterminds of the Ajmer blast, it is focusing on the terrorists caught in connection with the Mumbai blasts to get more details.
"The Ajmer blast was carried out to disturb communal harmony. Intelligence inputs too revealed that Wahabi militants from across the border are trying to target Islamic shrines in the country," said the officer.
