Muthalik planted Malegaon bomb: ATS

Investigators say further questioning will be focussed on the organisation, and the remaining explosives that are yet to be traced

Muthalik planted Malegaon bomb: ATS

Investigators say further questioning will be focussed on the organisation, and the remaining explosives that are yet to be traced

The interrogation of 36-year-old Praveen Muthalik, who was arrested by the Mumbai ATS, has revealed that he is the one who planted the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a bike at Bhiku chowk, Malegoan, during Ramzan on September 29, 2008. The motorcycle was later traced to the prime accused Pragya Singh Thakur, theu00a0 interrogation report revealed.

In the net: Mutalik has been remanded to police custody till Feb 14
Pic / Sayed Sameer Abedi

A Gokak resident, Muthalik came into contact with Abhinav Bharat through Sri Ram Sene and met Colonel Prasad Srikanth Purohit, who founded the organisation in February 2007.

The training
Further investigations by ACP Mohan Kulkarni, ATS, Mumbai, revealed that Muthalik along with Ramachandra Gopal Singh Kalsangra alias Ramji and Sandeep Vishwas Dange, were trained to handle explosives by Rakesh Dhawde during his stay at Sudhakar Chaturvedi's house in Deolali camp, Nasik, two months before the attack.

Purohit had brought RDX with him while coming from Kashmir after completing his posting. It was kept at his house for a while before the bomb was assembled with the help of Chaturvedi and Kalsangra.

According to ATS sources, Chaturvedi had kept his house keys at his office in Deolali camp for security reasons during his absence. Purohit had asked Muthalik to collect the keys from his office and go to Chaturvedi's house to assemble the IED, which was finally used for the blast.

Incriminating
Dwivedi's laptop contained audio and video files of all the meetings held at Faridabad, Ujjain and Bhopal to discuss the attack. The call records prove their association and intentions. "Praveen's questioning will be focused on the organisation's network, and locations of the remaining explosives," said an official.

The charges

Sections 302, 307, 324, 427, 153-A, 120-B read with 3,4,5 and 6 of India Explosive Substances ACT. 1980 r/w 3,5,25 of Arms Act r/15,16,17,18,20 and 23 of Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act-1967 of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act 1999.

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