Arms seizure:Ex-corporator remanded in ATS custody till Aug 28

Former Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar, arrested in connection with the seizure of explosives and arms in Maharashtra, was remanded today in the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody till August 28 by a Mumbai court.

The Maharashtra ATS told the court that they need to probe if Pangarkar was assigned any particular target in the form of a person or a place, and also find out the mastermind of the conspiracy.

The former corporator was arrested by the ATS last night.

Seeking Pangarkar's remand, the ATS said they also need to ascertain if he had provided any financial or logistical support to the other three accused, arrested earlier this month following seizure of a large cache of explosives.

On August 10, Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar were arrested by the ATS from Palghar and Pune districts in connection with the seizure of a large number of bombs and weapons.

The prosecution told the court that the ATS also wanted to find out if Pangarkar had conducted recee of any place.

A pen drive, hard disks and some incriminating documents were recovered from Pangarkar's residence in the state's Jalna district, the prosecution said.

Prime facie, he was funding the other three accused -- Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhaleka, the prosecution said, adding that Pangarkar's bank transactions also need to be probed.

Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhaleka have been remanded in the ATS custody till August 28.

The state's anti-terror agency had alleged that the accused were planning to carry out blasts in the state ahead of Independence Day and Bakri Eid.

The ATS also said it would probe if the accused had any connection with the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, and journalist Gauri Lankesh.

The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.