
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Thursday invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the ten accused arrested so far in the September 29 Malegaon blast case.
One more suspect would be arrested soon, ATS chief Hemant Karkare said at a press conference.
Karkare said the case would now shift to the special MCOCA court in Mumbai. Currently, the proceedings are underway at a court in Nashik district, under which Malegaon falls.
MCOCA allows police to keep an accused in custody longer than in ordinary case, before the chargesheet is filed.
He said that ATS' current ‘focus’ was only on the Malegaon blast case, and not on Samjhauta Express explosions of 2007.
The police officer said ATS was expecting some vital evidence to emerge from scrutiny of the laptop of Sudhakar Chaturvedi, one of the accused.
The investigation would be hopefully completed within 90 days, Karkare added.
No political pressure on us in Malegaon probe: ATS chief
Rebutting senior BJP leader L K Advani's charge, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad said there was no political pressure on it in handling the Malegaon blast probe nor was there any substance in the charge that accused Lt Col P S Purohit was tortured in custody.
"There is zero political pressure and we are working professionally. Purohit has said in open court that ATS has not ill treated him," ATS head Hemant Karkare said.
Regarding Advani's allegation that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, another arrested accused in the case, was ill treated by the ATS, he said the matter was sub-judice and he would not like to say anything at the moment.
... contd.