“Pragya had asked, how did so few people die?”
Malegaon Part 1
The way senior writer and Ex. Editor of Navbharat Times, Nirendra Nagar has described the entire incident through New Delhi Post is undoubtedly unparalleled. Our readers should know when, how, and in what form it happened then. Incidents in the country change so rapidly that we often forget which event occurred when. This is the effort of New Delhi Post to present those events in a dramatic manner and explain what the story of this case was. What actually happened 17 years ago?
In the Samjhauta train blast case, Aseemanand has been acquitted/proven guilty and now the question is being raised whether other terrorist cases linked to Lt. Colonel Purohit and Pragya will also result in acquittal/proven guilty. It’s hard to say, but it would be interesting to know what charges are against these two-star accused allegedly linked to saffron terrorism, what evidence is against them, and where their case currently Stands.
“Malegaon Bombing Accusations “
First, let’s talk about Colonel Purohit, whose full name is Prasad Shrikant Purohit. He is accused of being involved in the Malegaon bombing conspiracy and has been out on bail since August 2017 after spending 9 years in police custody. Purohit has denied involvement in the Malegaon conspiracy and alleged that he was subjected to severe torture during his detention. After being released on bail, Purohit has been reinstated in the army, but he has not yet been acquitted of the charges of involvement in terrorist activities. On October 30, 2018, charges were framed against Purohit, Pragya Singh Thakur, and 5 others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the NIA court in Mumbai. Since then, testimonies have been ongoing.
Whether Lt. Colonel Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur are innocent or guilty will be determined by the NIA court based on evidence and testimonies, but there is an interesting story behind how both of their names are linked to this case. Today, we will discuss this topic.
“A Motorcycle Bombing “
On September 29, 2008, an explosion occurred in a motorcycle placed in front of Shakeel Goods Transport Company in Malegaon, killing 7 people and injuring 79 others. The next day, Maharashtra’s Home Minister R.R. Patil and ATS chief Hemant Karkare visited the blast site where Patil told Karkare that they did not want any oversight in this case like the Malegaon blast that happened two years earlier. Hemant Karkare collected evidence from the explosion site and ordered a forensic examination of the motorcycle named LML Freedom. The motorcycle’s registration number plate was fake.
“Forensic Trail”
In addition, the bike’s chassis number, engine number, and even the tire numbers were erased. Karakre got a forensic examination done to retrieve their numbers and based on them, he found out from the sales office of LML company in Gujarat where this bike was sold. The LML company had already shut down by then. The sales office informed that this vehicle was sent to a distributor in Indore based on the chassis and engine numbers. It was learned from the distributor in Indore that it was sold to Pragya Singh Thakur.
“Deadly Question”
After receiving the name and number of Pragya Singh Thakur, a call was made to her from the ATS office located in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai. She said, ‘I am currently in Gujarat.’ Pragya’s mobile was put under surveillance. Pragya went directly from Gujarat to Ujjain and paid her respects at Mahakal. From there, she called a person named Ramchandra Kalsangra alias Ramji and asked on the phone, ‘How could so few people die?’The entire conversation went like this.
Pragya – They will take me this evening Ramji. Why?
Pragya – My car was found in the Malegaon blast. Ramji – But you had sold that car.
Pragya – Where should I say I sold it? MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra?
Ramji – Speak about Gujarat.
Pragya – When did you ask about selling?
Ramji – I don’t know, just let me know. If they don’t believe, tell them my name.
Pragya – But how did so few people die? Why wasn’t the vehicle placed in the crowd?
Ramji – They didn’t allow us to stand in the crowd. If something happens, we will handle it. I have spoken to Arvind Ji. He will bring one hundred thousand people for the protest. There are allegations of planting a bomb in Kalasangra on a bike and he is still on the run.
“Unravelling Pragya, Bike & Blast”
Pragya Singh Thakur was an emerging face of Hindutva and was very popular during those days. There was an attempt to position her against Uma Bharti, who had separated from the BJP. Pragya often used to stay at the Circuit House. The ATS called Pragya Singh to Mumbai and said that they wanted to talk to her about a bike. She arrived in Mumbai with an attendant, where she was lodged in a hotel. When asked about the bike that was purchased in her name, Pragya said that she had sold it to Sunil Joshi. When she was asked about Sunil Joshi’s whereabouts, Pragya mentioned that he was murdered last year.
“Army & Arabic Pragya’s Secrets”
It should be noted that Sushil Joshi was a propagandist of the RSS and was murdered by two motorcycle riders in 2007. The reason for Sushil Joshi’s murder remains a mystery. We will discuss more about him later. For now, let’s find out what happened next with Pragya.In Mumbai, Pragya was accommodated in a hotel and questioned. During the interrogation, when she did not reveal much about the blast, she was handed over to the female police officer. In the interrogation, Pragya stated that she is not involved in this case. There is indeed an officer from the army involved. Pragya did not reveal the name of that officer but mentioned that he is learning Arabic in Pachmarhi. The interrogation also revealed that this officer had met Pragya several times in Indore and Jabalpur.
The police were also surprised when the name of an army officer came up in the blast conspiracy. A senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau spoke to the Army Chief and asked which of your officers is learning Arabic in Pachmarhi? This is where Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit’s name came up. Shrikant Purohit’s number was found in Pragya’s mobile, and his phone was put under surveillance. On October 23, Pragya was arrested.
(What happened next, we will describe you tomorrow.
Ye thi khabren ab tak, intzaar kijiye kal dophar tak.)
