By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Ahmedabad: The National Investigation Agency(NIA) has taken over the probe into the 2008 Modasa bomb blasts that had resulted in the death of a youth and injuries to over a dozen persons.
This is the first case in Gujarat which has been taken over by NIA for investigation.
NIA took over the case after the investigations into the probe failed to come out with any clue in the matter despite the fact that probe by Mumbai ATS had found parallels between Malegaon and Modasa blasts. Radical Hindutva groups were found linked with Malegaon blast and Pragya Singh connected with a Hindutva outfit and a serving Army colonel Purohit were arrested by Mumbai ATS.
Surprisingly, no clue was found by the Gujarat police in the Modasa blast. Nor was the case handed over to Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) though all such cases in the state had been probed by ATS. But this case was investigated by the Modasa police.
Deputy superintendent of Police (Modasa) K K Mysorewala had thrice visited Mumbai and got in touch with Mumbai ATS to know if Sadhvi Pragya Singh and others arrested in connection with Malegaon blast had any link with Modasa as well. But all efforts to solve the case had drawn a blank.
Minister of State for Home Amit Shah had earlier told media persons that Mumbai ATS was not cooperating in the investigations.
The blast had taken place in the night of September 28, 2008, near a mosque when `taraweeh’ or night prayers during Ramzan was going on.
The explosives were kept in the dickey of a Hero Honda motorcyle, with a Muslim sounding word painted on it. However, the chassis of the bike was also found erased so that the owner could not be identified. This act was similar to the one in Malegaon where a bike was used for the blasts.
The state police had questioned more than 250 persons, mostly Muslims, including office-bearers of a well known Muslim organization but had failed to find any clue. Surprisingly, the state police had cracked the July 26, 2008, blasts in Ahmedabad within a period of 20 days and arrested all the accused involved from different parts of the country.
Director General of Police S S Khandwawala, when asked by media persons, confirmed that NIA had informed the state government that it had taken over the probe.
The Gujarat government had paid an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh to the family members of Ayub Ghori, who was killed in the blast.