A Nashik court on Monday allowed the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to question a 'very very high profile' person from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the September 29 Malegaon blast probe and ATS investigators are expected to travel to UP soon to pursue what they say is a key lead.

Although the ATS in normal circumstances does not require a court’s permission to question people in another state, sources said the department was arming itself with the order to avoid any “possible hurdles” during the process. They said the UP person is suspected to be “organiser” of training camps in Sinhagad, Pune, in 2003.

The court’s permission came as the ATS said it had conducted a narco-analysis test on Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikanth Purohit in a Bangalore hospital on Sunday. The serving officer was arrested last week for his suspected role in funding and organising logistics for the blast which killed five Muslims during the fasting month of Ramzan.

The ATS also asked the court to extend the custody of Rakesh Dhavde, who is suspected to have procured the explosives and who was in police custody until Monday, due to his alleged links with the 2003 Parbhani blast, the 2004 Jalna blast and the 2006 Nanded blast.

ATS Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar argued that Dhavde “played a key role in training, accommodation of the participants and transport of explosives to the 2003 training camp in Sinhagad in Pune. He is also involved in training some of the deceased accused in the recent blast cases.”

... contd.