By Aleem Faizee, ummid.com,
Malegaon: In a decision that can perhaps change the course of the investigations into the Malegaon 2006 blast case, the State Government in Maharashtra has instructed the State Police to look into the allegations made against the police officials by the accused in his affidavit.
“In a meeting today afternoon, we have instructed the Home Secretary and Director General (DG) of Police to look into the allegations made by Abrar Ahmad, one of the accused in the 2006 blast, and submit the report at their earliest”, Arif Naseem Khan, Minister of State for Home said while speaking to ummid.com.
Abrar Ahmad, one of the accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts was the lone approver in the case but turned hostile in April alleging serious charges against Rajwardhan, then Superintendent of Police (Nashik Rural), and few other police and Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials. In his affidavit filed on April 18, 2009, Abrar has described the sequence of events in details that led to the arrests of other accused besides alleging Rajwardhan for hatching a conspiracy to nab innocent youths. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already investigating the whole case though it is yet to file its report.
Apart from investigating the allegations made by Abrar, the State Police would also look into the demands made by Salman Farsi, the other blast accused, who was on an indefinite hunger strike in Ratnagiri Jail for over a month. “The police will look into the matter and if at all any lapses are found we will take immediate actions”, Arif Naseem Khan said. When Salman was on hunger strike, his wife Dr. Nafeesa had requested Arif Naseem Khan to look into the matter.
In reply to a question Arif Naseem Khan declined if the government had set any specific timeframe for the completion of the inquiry. “Though we have not set any timeframe for the completion of the inquiry, we have directed the DG and Home secretary to commence it immediately. They might start from tomorrow”, he said adding, “We would be meeting again in eight days time to take a review.”
Meanwhile a Kul Jamaati Tanzeem delegation of Malegaon also called on Arif Naseem Khan today evening at his Mumbia office in Mantralay. The Kul Jamaati Tanzeem leaders urged the Minister to take actions against the guilty and immediate release of those who are in jail since last two years. They also requested him to look into the security of Abrar Ahmad, the lone approver in the case who has now turned hostile. “The meeting with Arif Naseem Khan was satisfactory. He assured us that he was keenly monitoring the Malegaon blast case and no guilty in the case would be spared”, Maulana Ab Qayyum informed ummid.com.
Earlier in the day before meeting Arif Naseem Khan, the Kul Jamaati Tanzeem leaders had met the CBI Incharge Officer Pramod Kumar Dev at his Nariman Point office and requested him to wrap the CBI investigations, pending since December 2006.