Transcript shows CID official knew Goa blast accused

The police were on a lookout for Malgunda Patil five days before he and his accomplice were killed in a blast Friday night while ferrying explosives in South Goa, says a transcript of telephonic conversation published by a sister organisation of the right-wing Hindu group Sanatan Sanstha.

The two men were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) they were carrying on a scooter blew up in Margao town in south Goa Friday night.

https://www.hindujagruti.org/, a website run by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), a satellite organistion of the Sanatan Sanstha, has published transcripts of a conversation between an officer attached to the Goa police CID/special branch and the receptionist at the sanstha's ashram at Ramnathi in Ponda, around 30 km from here.

The transcript, which was uploaded on the website Oct 11, was also published in the Oct 11 edition of Sanatan Prabhat, a Marathi daily published by the Sanatan Sanstha.

'Giri' in the transcript could refer to police sub-inspector Prakash Giri who is at present attached to the CID/SB unit in Ponda.

In the transcript, Giri says that he knows Malgunde Patil "very well".

The other voice is of the woman activist who is a receptionist at the Sanatan Sanstha ashram also located in Ponda. Sanatan Sanstha's activists are referred to as "sadhaks" or seekers.

Excerpt begins:

Oct 11, 2009

Ashwin Krushna Ashtami, Kaliyug Varsha 5111

Why Police and CID is wasting their time in the investigation of pro-Hindu and pro-Nation organisations like Sanatan Sanstha? Instead they should devote more time for the investigation of terrorists and criminals creating havoc in the country!

Phonda (Goa): An officer of the Intelligence department (C.I.D.) interrogated the seekers (activists) of the reception desk in Ramnathi Ashram over the phone. The following conversation took place between them:

Mr. Giri: May I speak to Sree Malgonda Patil?
Lady Seeker: No he is not there.

Mr. Giri: Where is he?
Lady Seeker: He has gone home.

Mr. Giri: Then who else is there?
Lady Seeker: Who is speaking please?

Mr. Giri: I am Giri.
Lady Seeker: Who Giri? I do not know you.

Mr. Giri: You will not know me. Malgonda Patil knows me very well.
Lady Seeker: I will give you the phone number of another seeker. Please call him.

Mr. Giri: What is your name?
Lady Seeker: I am speaking from the reception desk.

Mr. Giri: Even the receptionist has a name. (The lady seeker told her name.)
Mr. Giri: Your name is that of a Hindi speaker. How do you speak Marathi so well?
Lady Seeker: I can speak both.

After that Mr. Giri called the number given by that lady seaker. The conversation between that seeker and Mr Giri is as follows:

Mr. Giri: (Taking the seeker's name) My name is Giri. Did you recognize me?
Seeker: No.

Mr. Giri: I am speaking from CID. I need some information regarding Sanatan. Do you have FRCA registration?
Seeker: I don't know. I am currently travelling and cannot tell you anything at the moment.

Mr. Giri: Ok. I will call you later. (He did not contact the seeker again.)

Excerpt ends.

Patil originally hailed from Sangli and was a member of working committee of Sanatan Sanstha. Patil, along with Yogesh Naik, died of injuries after the IED they were ferrying blew up near Grace Church in Margao town on Diwali eve.

Apart from the one IED device which exploded in Margao, the police also detected and defused three other IEDs, two found near the blast site and another 30 km away near Vasco.

Police have named the duo as the main accused in the blast case. Superintendent of Police (CID) and police spokesperson Atmaram Deshpande refused to comment on the issue.