The statement further referred to meetings held in 2008 in Faridabad and Bhopal, which the ATS had alleged were locations where the criminal conspiracy was hatched. Another witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case turned hostile on Thursday. This was the 19th witness to not support the prosecution so far.
The witness, a former Armyman, told the court that while he knew accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit as he was his neighbour at the Army Educational Corps Training College and Centre in Panchmarhi, he did not recognise any other accused. He also denied the entire contents attributed to him, which is part of the statement included in the chargesheet filed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2009.
The six-page statement recorded on December 27, 2008, by the ATS referred to discussions claimed to have taken place between Purohit and the witness or conversations he had heard Purohit having related to formation of a Hindu rashtra, his take on the Constitution, the National Anthem and National Flag.
The statement the witness denied also referred to Purohit speaking about formation of a pure Hindu organisation and need for an academy for ideological indoctrination, political ex-communication of those opposing and training of youth.
The statement further referred to meetings held in 2008 in Faridabad and Bhopal, which the ATS had alleged were locations where the criminal conspiracy was hatched. The statement referred to a meeting in Faridabad where the witness was attributed to be stating that he had seen some of the co-accused. It also referred to a meeting of Abhinav Bharat, the organisation allegedly linked to Purohit.
Further, the statement referred to how the witness had interactions with Purohit as a former Armyman wanted to start a school in a village and Purohit proposed to help by putting him in touch with some people.
The statement had claimed that the witness had heard Purohit discuss that an “overground and underground forum must be created”. It alleged that when he asked Purohit about it, he told him that it was part of some military intelligence operation he was part of.
Special Public Prosecutor Avinash Rasal said that the witness denied that he knew any accused except Purohit, who was his neighbour. Rasal also said that the witness denied the contents attributed to him in the ATS statement. So far, 243 witnesses have deposed in the trial.
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