Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the allegation by Anti-Terrorism Squad's(ATS) former senior inspector Mehmood Mujawar as "quite serious" and said the government will look into the matter.
The application filed in August before a magistrate court in Solapur claimed that Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra, who are among the accused in the Malegaon blasts case, are "no more". The details of the application surfaced in public domain yesterday.
"Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra are in fact no more but are shown alive in Malegaon bomb blast case by high ranking police officers," Mujawar alleged.
The application was filed in the court by Mujawar on August 19 this year seeking early disposal of the case under Arms Act registered against him.
Mujawar, in his application, alleged that the case was filed against him as a conspiracy and was a pressure tactic as he wanted to reveal the truth about the "death" of Dange and Kalsangra.
"At least, in my tenure in ATS, nothing of this sort has happened," Raghuvanshi told PTI.
A retired police official, who has worked in the ATS, questioned Mujawar's claim, asking as to why the allegation is being made now after eight years.
"Who had stopped this official from revealing these important facts before? We must not believe these claims," the official, requesting anonymity, said.
A bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100.
"So I think we need to verify whether what is stated in the letter is really true, whether it is really genuine. I think, as of now I can only say that we will have a serious look at the entire episode," Fadnavis told reporters when asked to comment on the claim by Mujawar.
NCP spokesman Nawab Malik demanded a probe into the allegation.
The state ATS, which was initially probing the case, had charged the accused under various sections of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code, Indian Explosives Act and the Arms Act.
However, when the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet by which charges under MCOCA were dropped on the ground that there wasn't sufficient material.
Sticking to his claims, Mujawar alleged that he was
slapped with a false case with the intention of "suppressing the truth" about which he had informed the police top brass eight years back.
(REOPENS BOM15)
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh police said they had no
information about Kalsangra and Dange, both of whom hailed from the state.
"We heard about Kalsangra and Dange from media reports (about Mujawar's allegation). We don't have any information about them," Deputy Inspector General, Indore, Harinarayanchari Mishra said.
Police sources said Kalsangra was a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur district, while Dange was from Indore.
The development was also mentioned during the proceedings of Mumbai court which is hearing the 2008 Malegaon blasts case.
The National Investigation Agency told the court it would verify the ATS officer's claim.
One of the accused brought to the court's notice reports about Mujawar's claim, special prosecutor Avinash Rasal told
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
