Right-wing group studied places across India: ATS

Mumbai: The investigation into the right-winger terror ring busted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) with seizure of crude bombs from them has revealed that the group conducted reconnaissance at several places across India. The officials said that their targets included mostly places instead of individuals, were Presence in All parts of (PAN) India. In Maharashtra, they were planning to target locations in Satara, Pune, Kolhapur, Nalasopara, ATS has learnt.

The questioning of the accused Vaibhav Raut (40), Sharad Kalaskar (25), Sudhanwa Gondhalekar (39) and former Shiv Sena corporator from Jalna Shrikant Pangarkar revealed about their extensive tours across India. They also visited Goa on several occasions hinting their visits to Sanatan Sanstha’s gatherings there.

“These visits were used to meet Dr Virendrasinh Tawade, the main conspirator, and first person to be arrested in the conspiracy,” said an ATS officer. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Tawade in June 2016 after Dabholkar was gunned down in August 2013.

Tawade’s chargesheet stated him to be the conspirator who is alleged to be the face of an umbrella of right-wing Hindu organisations, who are alleged to have hatched the killings. The officer said that Tawade was the point man who assigned and supervised the operations.

While the states on their radar included those from north and south of the country, the officials are in the process of deciphering the locations that were on their target. Following the arrest of Kalaskar and Sachin Andhure, both shooters in the Dhabolkar case, the investigators said that there was resemblance between the sketches drawn following the murder and the accused.

There is no clarity on Sarang Akolkar or Vinay Pawar who were supposed to be the duo in the sketches and the accused who were stated to have killed the rationalist.