Pune/Mumbai: Prime accused in the Malegaon blast case Lt. Col. S.P. Purohit alleged on Wednesday in a Pune court that he was being victimised for “political reasons” as he was in possession of information pertaining to the Students Islamic Movement of India and the Inter-Services Intelligence that could embarrass some quarters.

Purohit’s counsel Srikant Shivde alleged that the officer had Intelligence data of a “sensitive nature” and could even be eliminated.

In New Delhi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Wednesday rejected Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani’s charge that the ATS probing the Malegaon blasts case was “politically motivated.”

It was doing a “fair probe,” he said.

The former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Rebeiro said Mr. Advani’s remarks were unwarranted.

Without naming Hemant Karkare, Mr. Rebeiro said the officer in-charge of the Anti Terrorism Squad(ATS) was the last person to fall into any “political kind of plan of anybody.” — PTI

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