Probe against Maha ATS, CBI officials likely

Maharashtra's elite Anti-terror Squad and CBI officials, who probed the 2006 Malegaon blasts may have to face probe as the Centre has taken a serious view of allegations that nine Muslim youths were framed with malafide intentions.
Taking note of the charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency earlier this week in which four suspected members of right-wing groups were named as accused, senior officials in Home Ministry, the cadre-controlling authority of IPS, said the Maharashtra Government may be "advised" to probe the role of then ATS officials who had allegedly been framed.
The case was registered by Maharashtra ATS with Rajvardhan, then Additional Superintendent of Police of Nasik (Rural).

Abrar Ahmed, who was named by the ATS as an accused, had alleged in an affidavit that then DIG of ATS Subodh Jaiswal (at present on deputation to RAW) and then ATS Chief K P Raghuvanshi had "doctored" a confessional statement from him.
Later, the case was probed by CBI whose Joint Director Arun Kumar, at present Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police, but the families of the accused approached the court saying no CBI team ever visited or took their statement.
The supposed transcript of telephone conversation submitted by CBI along with its supplementary charge sheet which purportedly showed Abrar Ahmed hatching the conspiracy was not authentic, the families of the nine accused had claimed in their petitions.

ATS and CBI had earlier filed a charge sheet against the nine Muslim youth and charged them with triggering explosive devices on September 8, 2006 at Malegaon.
The youth, who were behind bars for five years, were released as NIA did not oppose their bail plea.