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.

Karkare said, "despite media reports and his (Purohit's) relatives saying he was ill treated he told the court that there was no such thing."

Dayanand Pandey had also said he was ill treated but the court did not see any marks and medical reports also found the allegations to be incorrect, Karkare said.

Pandey, when produced in a Nashik court on November 14, had alleged he had been physically tortured by the ATS after being arrested. He was taken to the magistrate's chambers where he was examined but no marks of torture were found, he said.

"In this case, like all cases, we adhere to methods prescribed under the CrPC and we use witness statements, technical evidence and interrogation," Karkare said.

PM Manmohan Singh dials Advani

New Delhi, November 20:

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up BJP leader L K Advani and raised the issue of his allegations about torture of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the prime accused in the Malegaon blast case, in connection with the ongoing ATS probe.

During the telephonic conversation on Wednesday, the Prime Minister is understood to have told the Leader of the Opposition that the BJP charges are being looked into by appropriate authorities and that he will get back after ascertaining the facts. The BJP had also raised questions on the neutrality of Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

Advani is also understood to have raised the issue of affidavit filed in a Nashik court by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in which she alleging she is being tortured by ATS personnel which he described as ‘barbaric treatment’.

The Prime Minister is also understood to have voiced concern over how religious labels are being given for terror.

Breaking his silence in the Malegaon probe while coming out in support of the Sadhvi,Advani alleged on Tuesday ‘It has become clear that the ATS is acting in a politically-motivated and unprofessional manner’.

BJP president Rajnath Singh and several party leaders have also targeted the ATS and have accused there is a political conspiracy.

Sudhakar was in touch with Purohit: ATS

Sudhakar Chaturvedi, arrested in connection with Malegaon blast case, was the national coordinator of radical group Abhinav Bharat who remained in touch with key accused Lt Col Srikant Prasad Purohit, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) told a court in Mumbai.

ATS was granted transit custody of Chaturvedi by a magistrate court.

Chaturvedi is likely to be produced before a Nashik court on Friday where the ATS will seek his police custody.

He was arrested on November 4 outside suburban Dadar railway station for possession of a country-made revolver and a fake army identity card.

He had undergone scientific tests like brain mapping and narco analysis at the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory on November 18.

During police interrogation Chaturvedi said the revolver and the identity card was given to him by Purohit. The identity card was a temporary pass which allowed Chaturvedi access into the artillery centre at Deolali camp of the army near Nashik, police sources said.

Chaturvedi, allegedly a former RSS activist, had met Purohit and others accused in the case like Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Dayanand Pandey at meetings organised by Abhinav Bharat, the sources said.

Advani told the Prime Minister that he was keeping quiet on the issue till now but was forced to speak after seeing the affidavit filed by Pragya in court, a BJP MP said.

Advani also advised the Prime Minister to go through Pragya's affidavit to know the seriousness of the situation.

Singh assured Advani that he will look into the matter, the BJP MP said on condition of anonymity.

Singh informed Advani that he had seen the statement made by the Opposition leader in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday about repeated narco analysis done on Pragya Singh Thakur.

Advani had also said at the public meeting that no women police personnel were present during the tests.