A blast at Malegaon near Nashik on September 29, 2008, killed six people and injured over 100. (File) Another witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case turned hostile on Thursday, claiming that he was pressured by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to name members of the RSS.
Of the 226 witnesses who have deposed so far, he was the 17th witness to not support the prosecution case.
Officials of the ATS, who had last week sought to remain present during the recording of evidence, have not moved a formal plea so far to attend court. State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil had last month said that taking note of witnesses turning hostile, an ATS representative would be asked to remain present before the court during trial.
On Thursday, the witness was examined by Special Public Prosecutor Sundeep Sadawarte, representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe from the ATS in 2011. The statement of the witness recorded on November 8, 2008, is part of the ATS chargesheet. It is pertaining to his contact with absconding accused Ramchandra Kalsangra in 2008.
The witness told the court that he was illegally detained by ATS officials three-four times. He claimed that he was assaulted, threatened on gunpoint and directed to take names of RSS members. The witness statement, which is part of the chargesheet, does not name any RSS member. It claimed that the witness told the ATS that he is a member of the RSS and neither has anything to do with the blast nor has any information about it.
The witness told the court on Thursday that he is not a member of the RSS and did not know the names of its office-bearers. He added that he was pressured and threatened and had suffered injury to his ear due to it. When asked if he had reported about it to any police authority, the witness said that he had not out of fear.
Last December, another witness had told the court that he was pressured to name five RSS members, including current Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in the case. Last week, two officials, including the retired investigating officer of the case from ATS, were present at the court. But as some defence lawyers objected, they left. They told the court they would take instructions from seniors if a formal plea is to be moved seeking permission to attend the trial.
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