ATS links up Pandey, Purohit, retd engineer

The state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) probe has revealed that Jammu Mahant and Malegaon blast suspect Dayanand Pandey had visited Pune several times and had, on a few occasions, met Shyam Apte.

Apte is a US-returned engineer, whose is the latest name from the city to crop up in the probe. The cause of their meetings is under investigation.

Sources said Lt. Col Prasad Purohit, the prime suspect in Malegaon blast case, had introduced Pandey to Apte.

Though Apte was on the radar of ATS even before Pandey’s arrest for allegedly funding the radical outfit, Abhinav Bharat, sources confirmed that a probe has been initiated afresh as his name has appeared in a laptop seized from Pandey.

State ATS chief Hemant Karkare questioned the bed-ridden Apte at his residence in Nav Sahyadri area on Friday evening.

Refusing to share details of the meeting, Inspector Peter Lobo of the Pune ATS unit said it was a major case as the ATS chief himself had come down to question Apte. “We are gathering evidence in the case. Details cannot be shared as it would hamper investigations,” Lobo said.

Sources said Apte was in touch with top RSS, VHP and leaders of other Hindu outfits. While working with IBM in the US for 25 years, Apte is said to have developed a good network of NRIs willing to donate money for the Hindu cause.