On Saturday, a team of policemen, said to be operating under the instructions of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, entered the jungles of Pavagadh-Champaner.
Rakesh Asthana, the Vadodara Police Commissioner, announced on Saturday that around 25-30 active members of the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat participated in the training camp at Pavagadh.
But Maulvi Sayyid Nizamuddin, president of the managing trust of Khunda Peer Dargah, said officials of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch allegedly entered the dargah premises on Saturday. “Although they did not ask any question, they stated in their report that some people came and stayed at the dargah and ran a terrorist training camp. It is completely baseless,” said Nizamuddin.
“We have people coming here in all the seasons, but only those belonging to the Mehdvi community stay here. I believe those accused of the crime are not from my community,” said Nizamuddin. Pavagadh also has a firing range belonging to the Gujarat State Reserve Police, which is about 4 km away from the dargah.
The road where the dargah stands remains busy with traffic headed for Madhya Pradesh although it has forest cover. The spot reportedly visited by the Ahmedabad police team to conduct searches is an abandoned quarry belonging to the Shree Darpan and Company.
The police themselves have been visiting the area to probe the riots.
But, as Asthana puts it, the matter is still under investigation and police are yet to ascertain the spot where the actual training took place.
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