Aseemanand owns up to strike on Mecca Masjid
Vishwa Mohan & Abantika Ghosh, TNN, Jan 8, 2011, 01.37am IST
NEW DELHI: Aseemanand, the hardline Hindutva swami, has confessed to his involvement in the terror attack on Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, while confirming that bomb attacks on the mosques in Malegaon (in 2006 and 2008) as well as the Samjhauta Express were carried out by Hindu radicals and he knew about it.
What reportedly led to the confession: the swami was cared for in jail by a Muslim, who was wrongly arrested in the Mecca Masjid blast, leading to the act of "atonement".
Aseemanand aka Jatin Chatterjee, born Naba Kumar Sarkar, has linked Hindu radicals also to the blast in a minority-dominated locality in Gujarat's Modasa town.
Further, he said RSS leader Indresh Kumar was part of the plan hatched to avenge bomb attacks on temples, but said that militant Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath provided no help to one of the accused.
Indresh, Aseemanand claimed, helped enlist members of the saffron terror plot, including Sunil Joshi and Ramchandra Kalsangra, aka Ramji. In a statement before a magistrate under Section 164 CrPC (admissible in a court of law) the swami also identified the group of radicals who were part of the 'bomb-for-bomb' plan.
He said the Hindu radicals allegedly attacked mosques and the train carrying Pakistani citizens as part of the 'bomb-for-bomb' plan to retaliate against jihadi terror.
Before making his confession, Aseemanand reportedly told the magistrate that he knew he could be sentenced to death but he still wanted to make the confession because of the arrest of Kaleem, wrongly it now transpires, for the Mecca Masjid blast. Kaleem's plight motivated Aseemanand to think of "atonement" so that innocents don't suffer.
The confession reveals that the network behind saffron terror was far stronger and motivated, and its reach wider than suspected so far.
It cannot be used as evidence in other cases of alleged saffron terror since they are being investigated by other agencies. But it can help with other probes.
Also, it raises serious questions about the course of investigation into the 2006 Malegaon blast, considering that the Maharasthra ATS and CBI have already chargesheeted Muslim accused.
According to Aseemanand, the key figures in the Hindutva terror conspiracy are Joshi (who was allegedly killed by his co-conspirators), Sandeep Dange and Kalsangra, both of whom are absconding, and about 10 others who have already been nabbed.
Explaining his motivation, Aseemanand told interrogators that he was angry by the attacks on Hindu temples by "Muslim terrorists". "This caused great concern and anger in me. I used to share my concern about the growing menace of Islamic terorism with Bharat Ritheshwar of Valsad," he said.
But it was the attack on Varanasi's Sankatmochan temple which proved to be the last straw for the swami who had so far been known for his forceful opposition to proselytization by Christian missionaries in Gujarat's tribal Dangs area.
Interestingly, Aseemanand told the magistrate who recorded his statement that he decided to confess because of Kaleem, who was his co-inmate in Chanchalguda prison. Kaleem, a mobile phone seller, had to spend one-and-a-half years in jail in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast, a crime which has now been established as the handiwork of Hindutva radicals. He landed up in the same jail, this time for a different offence, at a time when Aseemanand was also lodged there.
He took great care of the swami. The gesture moved Aseemanand to such an extent to make him to atone by way of confession so that the "real culprits can be punished and no innocent has to suffer".
"During my interaction with Kaleem, I learnt that he was previously arrested in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case and he had to spend about one-and-a-half years in prison. During my stay in jail, Kaleem helped me a lot and used to serve me by bringing water, food etc for me. I was very moved by Kaleem's good conduct and my conscience asked me to do prayaschit (penance) by making confessional statement."
'Malegaon picked as 80% of its population is Muslim'
Why the confession
"When I was in Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad, one of my co-inmates was Kaleem. During my interaction with Kaleem I learnt that he was previously arrested in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case and he had to spend about one-and- a-half years in prison. During my stay in jail, Kaleem helped me and served me by bringing water, food for me. I was very moved by Kaleem's good conduct and my conscience asked me to do prayaschit (penance) by making a confessional statement so that real culprits can be punished and no innocent has to suffer"
On possible death penalty
"I know I can be sentenced to death but I still want to make the confession"
On when he bit the terror bullet
"In March 2006, Pragya Thakur, Sunil Joshi, Bharat Riteshwar and I decided to give a befitting reply to the Sankatmochan blasts"
Bombs for bombs
"I told everybody, bomb ka jawab bomb se dena chahiye"
Justifying terror targets
"I suggested that 80% of people of Malegaon were Muslims and we should explode the first bomb in Malegaon itself...during Partition, Nizam of Hyderabad had wanted to go with Pakistan so Hyderabad was a fair target. I said since Hindus also throng Ajmer Sharif Dargah we should explode a bomb in Ajmer which would deter Hindus from going there. I also suggested the Aligarh Muslim University as a terror target"
Why Samjhauta
"In the meeting, (Sunil) Joshi suggested it was basically Pakistanis who travel on Samjhauta Express. Therefore, we should attack the train as well"
Planning blasts
"Joshi said three teams would be constituted to execute the blasts. One team would arrange finance and logistics. The second would arrange for explosives. And the third team would plant the bombs. Members of one team should not know members from the other two teams. So even if one gets arrested the others would remain safe"
Owning up to Malegaon
"(Sunil) Joshi came to see me at Shabri Dham on Diwali in 2006. The Malegaon blasts had happened. Sunil told me the blasts were carried out by our men. I said newspaper reports had mentioned Muslims were behind the blasts and a few Muslims had been arrested. Sunil assured me the blasts were carried out by him but he refused to reveal the identity of our men who had executed the blasts"
On Samjhauta Express blasts
"In February 2007, Riteshwar and Joshi came on a motorbike to a Lord Shiva temple at a place called Balpur. I was already waiting for the two. Joshi told me in the next two days there would be a piece of good news. I came back to Shabri Dham and Joshi and Riteshwar went their way. After a couple of days, I went to meet Riteshwar at his Valsad residence. Joshi and Pragya were there. The Samjhauta Express blasts had happened. I asked Joshi how he was present there while Samjhauta had already happened in Haryana. Joshi replied that the blasts were done by his men"
One Mecca Masjid blasts
"Joshi took Rs 40,000 from me for the blasts in Hyderabad. A few months later, Joshi telephoned me and told me to keep a tab on the newspapers. In a few days the news of the Mecca Masjid blast appeared in the papers. After 7-8 days, Joshi came to Shabri Dham with a Telugu newspaper. I told Joshi that in the papers it had appeared that some Muslim boys had been rounded up for the blast. Joshi replied it was done by our people"
...http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTEvMDEvMDgjQXIwMDEwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
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