'Ordered to arrest...RSS chief': Malegaon case officer makes bombshell claim
What's the story
A former officer of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), Mehboob Mujawar, has made explosive claims about the 2008 Malegaon blast investigation. He alleged that senior officers had ordered him to arrest Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. The allegations come after a special court in Mumbai acquitted all seven accused in the case, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, due to lack of reliable evidence.
Probe allegations
Attempt to misdirect investigation, says Mujawar
Speaking to NDTV, Mujawar alleged that there was an attempt to misdirect the investigation and register false cases against him for objecting. "The seniors had ordered the arrest of RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. The then Chief Investigation Officer of the Malegaon blast, Param Bir Singh, ordered me to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat." When he objected to the plan, "False cases were registered against me in this case but my name was cleared later," Mujawar said.
Blast aftermath
Malegaon blast case
He also alleged that the then Congress government put pressure on officials in this case. The BJP had previously claimed that the inquiry into the matter was conducted with the objective of defaming and framing right-wing figures, as well as targeting the Hindu community. The Malegaon blast took place on September 29, 2008, when a bomb fitted to a motorcycle exploded in a crowded Muslim-dominated area during Ramadan, killing six and injuring 101 others.
Case
Maharashtra ATS initially investigated the case
The Maharashtra ATS initially investigated the case before handing it over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). On Thursday, the special court observed that while a bomb blast did occur, there was no evidence to prove it was planted on a motorcycle. Furthermore, the court stated that Thakur had become a sanyasi and had abandoned all earthly possessions two years before the blast.
Suspension and reaction
Mujawar was suspended by the state government
Mujawar was suspended by the state government at that time, but his name was cleared later. Meanwhile, Singh, the then chief investigation officer of the Malegaon blast case, was suspended in December 2021 over alleged misconduct during his tenure as Mumbai Police commissioner. His suspension came after explosives were found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai. Later, he accused former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of extortion and interference.