Date:13/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/13/stories/2008111358380100.htm

Front Page

Malegaon: ATS detains mahant

Atiq Khan

No proof of his involvement in Kanpur blast

LUCKNOW: The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Mumbai on Wednesday detained Dayanand Pandey alias Mahant Amritanand, the Peethadheeshwar of Sharda Sarvagya Peeth in Jammu, for his alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts in September 2007.

The mahant was picked up by the Mumbai ATS, assisted by the U.P. ATS, from Rawatpur village under Kalyanpur police station in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The State ADG, Law and Order, Brij Lal said here on Wednesday that the mahant was picked up for interrogation at around 2.30 p.m.

Amritanand, who originally belongs to Varanasi, is currently residing in Trikutanagar locality of Jammu Tawi in J&K. He had left for Jammu in 2003 and returned to Kanpur a couple of days back.

Mr. Lal said no evidence has been found of his involvement in the August 24 bomb blast in Kanpur, which claimed the lives of two Bajrang Dal activists, in a hostel room in the industrial metropolis.

However, he has been visiting his home State quite often, although he does not have a past crime record, Mr. Lal added.

He was brought to Lucknow for interrogation, which would be conducted jointly by the Mumbai and UP ATS. The ADG said the decision whether to arrest Amritanand and to take him to Mumbai would be taken by the Mumbai ATS.

For taking him to Mumbai, he would be presented in court for securing transit remand.

A two-member Mumbai ATS team, led by Additional Commissioner of Police, Mohan Kulkarni, reached Lucknow on Tuesday. The ATS team was armed with an order of Chief Judicial Magistrate court, Nashik, dated, November 10, 2008 for seeking permission “in respect with inquiry with Dayanand Pandey.” The Nashik court order was in reference to a letter from the ACP, ATS, Mumbai regarding permission to hand over the “said accused” for inquiry in crime number 18/2008, under Sections 302, 307, 326, 324, 424, 153A, 120B of IPC, Sections 3,4,5 of Explosives Act and Sections 16,18, 23 of Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, 1967.

Corrections and Clarifications

The first paragraph in a Lucknow report "Malegaon: ATS detains mahant" (November 13, 2008, page 1) was "The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Mumbai on Wednesday detained Dayanand Pandey alias Mahant Amritanand, the Peethadheeshwar of Sharda Sarvagya Peeth in Jammu, for his alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts in September 2007." It should have been "September 2008".