Date:13/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/13/stories/2008111361031200.htm

Front Page

Commandant quits military school

Staff Reporter

MUMBAI: The Commandant of Bhonsala Military School, retired Lt. Col. Shailesh S. Raikar, and a staff member, Rajan Gaidhane, have submitted their resignations from their respective posts. The two had been questioned by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the Malegaon blast.

Diwakar Kulkarni, secretary of the Central Hindu Military Education Society, which runs the school said the applications were submitted on Tuesday evening. The school will review them in a meeting of the Nashik Vibhag Samiti on Thursday. As to the reasons, Kulkarni said they were “plain applications” and that no specific reasons have been mentioned.

The school’s name has cropped up in connection with the Malegaon blast. Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, a key suspect in the blast and alleged founder of the Pune-based organisation Abhinav Bharat, is reported to have had a meeting at the school premises.

Col. Raikar was questioned by the ATS for his affiliation with Purohit. He was released later. “Raikar and Purohit knew each other. They hailed from military intelligence backgrounds and were colleagues,” said Suhas Deshmukh, secretary of the governing council of the society. Raikar did not issue a statement to the media. However, Mr. Kulkarni said Raikar could not believe that Purohit could do anything like this.

“Although the people were known, such a thing has happened,” he said.

School authorities have said they were unaware of the nature of the meeting. “This is an accident. In September, the secretary of Abhinav Bharat applied to us seeking permission to conduct a meeting. We usually let out our premises for various functions and activities. We do not conduct a background check every time someone seeks permission to use our premises. So, we accepted the application. Only one room was given to Abhinav Bharat for the meeting on September 16, this year. The meeting lasted only a few hours. Although we do not know the number of people attending it, the room can accommodate up to eight persons,” said Mr. Kulkarni.

“They are outsiders; they wanted to conduct a meeting,” said Mr. Deshmukh.

The school’s premises are let out during holidays for various activities. In 2001, the school’s Nagpur premises were given out for a Bajrang Dal “personality development camp.”

Meanwhile, the authorities are miffed at media reports proclaiming the “involvement” of the school in the blast.