4 more quizzed in terror plot

Pune: After the arrest of Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar (associated with Sanatan Sanstha) and Sudhanva Gondhalekar (associated with Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan) from Palghar and Pune, Maharashtra ATS detained and quizzed four more people in the terror conspiracy case on Saturday.

Two persons were detained by Pune ATS from Bibvewadi and Balaji Nagar (Dhankawadi) whereas two friends of Gondhalekar were questioned by Pune and Solapur ATS in Natepute in Solapur district.
According to the sources in ATS, all the four persons detained and questioned at Pune and Natepute were later released by ATS.

The series of arrest started with the arrest of Raut who is a Sanatan Sanstha sympathiser. Followed by Raut, ATS also arrested Kalaskar and Gondhalekar on Friday. The court of additional session Judge Sameer Adkar in Mumbai on Friday remanded all three accused to ATS custody till August 18.

According to ATS, Gondhalekar is a member of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, an organisation headed by Sambhaji Bhide alias Bhide Guruji. However, Nitin Chowgle, a senior member of the outfit said, “From last four years we don’t have any ties with Gondhalekar, but before that, he has participated in some of our programmes.”

Sanjeev Punalekar, the accused’s lawyer, said, “We are getting very sensitive information that two friends of Sudhanva Gondhalekar have been taken into custody for three days and since Friday, the police are beating, harassing and torturing them. The police are forcing the two to ‘take’ explosives from them and then declare that the explosives were given to them by Sudhanva. They have also threatened them if in case, they don’t submit to the demands of the police, they will be made accused in the case.” Maharashtra ATS has also picked up a person from Indore. 

Weapons recovered
During a search operation conducted at the house of Sudhanva Gondhalekar in Pune, ATS has recovered 10 country made pistols with magazines, a country made gun, an air gun, 10 pistol barrels, six semi-assembled pistols, six pistol magazines, three semi prepared magazines, seven pistol slides, 16 relay switches, six number plates (vehicles), a trigger mechanism, a chopper and a knife.