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Hindu outfit had dacoit as member,
he was behind Hubli blast
BANGALORE / WSN
Network
In perhaps a
rare peep into how the Hindu rightist outfits function in
India
and what kind of political linkages do they harbour, a Karnataka
dacoit has confessed that he had links to a radical Hindu right wing
group and carried out the Hubli district court bombing of
May 10, 2008.
The blast took
place as the first phase of polling for the Karnataka Assembly
elections was on — in a magistrate’s courtroom where cases against
top Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) leaders including
Safdar Nagori were scheduled to be heard two days later. The
courtroom was empty at the time, but the building suffered extensive
damage.
Indian
investigators and media had earlier rushed and named SIMI as being
responsible for the blasts.
Police in the
northern Karnataka district of Bagalkot arrested 24-year-old Nagaraj
Jambagi and eight associates on New Year’s Eve for robbing and
murdering a businessman on December 29. The gang was also found to
have been involved in three other murders, a kidnapping for ransom
and robberies of over Rs 20 lakh over the past two years. Jambagi,
however, led investigators to a more significant finding.
“Following his
arrest Jambagi confessed to his role in the Hubli court blast of
2008. When we searched his house it led to the discovery of a pipe
bomb. We don’t know what group he is associated with. We are trying
to find that out,” Inspector General of Police, Northern Division,
Raghavendra Auradkar said.
According to the
official police version, Jambagi and his gang are primarily dacoits
who planted the bomb in a bid to “eliminate terrorists and
anti-nationals”, so that their criminal activities would be covered
up, and they would earn sympathy.
The Indian
Express newspaper however claimed that it found from its sources in
the state police intelligence that Jambagi and two others in his
gang — Ramesh Pawar and Lingaraj Jalagar, both 24 and from Bagalkot
— “are members of a radical right wing Hindu group”. The police were
trying to find out “who was controlling their activities”, a senior
officer said.
Jambagi at one
point had links with the Sri Rama Sena, a right wing group started
by the firebrand former Bajrang Dal leader from the region, Pramod
Mutallik. Mutallik, however, denied any knowledge or association
with Jambagi. “This is a mass organisation. Lots of people come and
go. We can’t keep track of everyone. The police have only connected
him to Hindu groups, not to the Sri Rama Sena,” he said.
IGP Auradkar
said Jambagi had obtained the bombs from one Hanumant Arjun
Sainsakali, a 22-year-old technical diploma student from Indi on the
Maharashtra border. Investigations in the aftermath of the blast
showed the bomb was similar to the one used in the May 18, 2007
blast at
Hyderabad’s
Mecca Masjid.
14 January 2009
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