India News

Hindu right wing outfit members arrested, explosives seized by Maharashtra ATS

Published

8 years ago

August 11, 2018

Hindu right wing outfit members arrested, explosives seized by Maharashtra ATS

Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) claimed to have averted a major terror attack with the arrest of three members reportedly belonging to Hindu right wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha after recovering eight country-made bombs, other explosives and literature.

All three accused, nabbed following leads provided by team probing journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case in Bengaluru, were produced in a sessions court and remanded to police custody till August 18, reported The Indian Express (IE).

The three have been arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act. According to the ATS, they have recovered 22 items including 20 crude bombs, two gelatin sheets, a note on how to prepare bombs, one six-volt battery, a few loose wires, transistors and glue from the arrested.

The bombs recovered from Raut’s house were “ready” for use, reported IE quoting sources. “They were up to something sinister and the bombs were active and ready to be used. Such a huge cache recovered before Independence day and Bakrid is reason enough to worry. Our probe is now focusing on the purpose behind assembling so many bombs, were they planning a coordinated attack or otherwise, who trained them and related questions,” said an official.

Among the arrested is Vaibhav Raut (40), allegedly a member of the Hindu Govansh Raksha Samiti and is also said to be a sympathiser of the right wing Sanatan Sanstha, said media reports.

Suspects allegedly linked to the Sanatan Sanstha were involved in the murders of three rationalists – Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi – and the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Another accused, Sudhanwa Gondhalekar (39) from Satara, is a member of the Shri Shivapratishthan Hindustan, whose chief is Sambhaji Bhide. Bhide has been booked in two criminal cases in connection with violence near Bhima Koregaon on January 1 by the Pune Police.

The third accused, Sharad Kasalkar (25) was arrested along with Raut from Raut’s Nallasopara residence. Sources said that the ATS recovered a note on making bombs from Kasalkar and that Gondhalekar had knowledge of explosives and trained the other two men on assembling them.

The explosives have been handed over to the Mumbai Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain its nature. “We want to know source of these explosives and how Raut intended to use them and therefore his custodial interrogation is necessary,” said an official requesting anonymity.

The ATS is also probing links between the three men arrested and the murders of three rationalists and Gauri Lankesh. “While there is no doubt that they were closely affiliated to Sanatan Sanstha, we think these are two different modules that co-existed but worked differently. While the four murders were executed using weapons, in this case, crude bombs have been recovered, we suspect that this is a different module,” said an official.

“During the course of the investigation into the murder of Lankesh, a diary was recovered, this dairy was shared with the Maharashtra Police. However, the names of the arrested are not mentioned in the diary,” said another senior official.

The Sanatan Sanstha has denied the three men are its members. “Raut is not a seeker of Sanatan; however, he had been actively involved in numerous rallies and processions organised by devout Hindu organisations. Although Raut is not a seeker of Sanatan, we believe that any Hindu working for the cause of Hindutva and for Dharma, is Sanatan’s own,” stated a press release by Sanatan Sanstha.

While the right-wing outfit denied Raut being an active member, Sanatan Sanstha advocate Sanjeev Punelikar told the press that Raut was acquainted to its member. “Raut had been externed by the Palghar police in connection with a beef ban case. While he is a hindutva worker, he isn’t our member. However I doubt the ATS claim of he hoarding explosives,” he said.

Sanatan Sanstha will, however, provide legal aid to Raut, Punelikar was reported to have said.

In the court, special public prosecutor, Sunil Gonsalves, representing the ATS, had sought 15 days custody of the three men. He submitted that they had received secret information on August 7 about the three men and that they were conspiring to carry out “terror activities” in Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Solapur and Nallasopara, reported IE.

Special Judge Adkar said that prima facie there was evidence to show that the accused were involved in a conspiracy. He further said the allegations were “very serious” and that “incriminating articles were found”. He, however, said that he was not inclined to grant custody for 15 days and sent the three men to police custody till August 18.

Ban Sanatan Sanstha, demands Opposition

The Opposition has demanded that the government ban the right-wing Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said, “The Congress government had sent a proposal to ban the Sanatan Sanstha, but no action has been taken against the group so far. Its office-bearers can be spotted in the Mantralaya interacting with ministers and officials. The government must take cognisance of the fact that this organisation is involved in committing murders and planting bombs.”

The Nationalist Congress Party demanded an investigation into the arrests. NCP State unit chief Jayant Patil said, “Had it been a member of a minority group who had been found with the explosives, he would have been accused of being linked with Pakistan. Today, explosives were found with a member of Sanatan Sanstha. The government must investigate the matter in detail.” Patil demanded that an investigation be conducted into the Malegaon blast as well following the seizure of explosives in Nallasopara.

Leader of the Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, referring to Vaibhav Raut, who is also allegedly affiliated with the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and is accused of planning to instigate riots by setting off explosions in religious places, said, “This man already has cases of rioting against him and the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti has come out in his support, terming the arrest ‘Malegaon part 2’.”

Vikhe-Patil said, This clearly shows the intent of this organisation. The government must take immediate steps to ban all extremist organisations.”

He said members of right-wing Hindu organisations have been found to be behind the murders of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, CPI leader Govind Pansare, professor MM Kalburgi, and Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Related Topics:ATS Maharashtra MM Kalburgi Terrorist

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Rahul Gandhi faces expulsion demand in Lok Sabha over trade deal remarks

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has moved a notice seeking Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Here is how the disqualification and expulsion process works.

Published

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Nishikant Dubey, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, has sought the expulsion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha. Dubey has submitted a notice calling for a substantive motion against Gandhi over his remarks concerning the India–US trade deal.

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How can a Lok Sabha MP be expelled

The process for expelling a Member of Parliament involves several procedural steps within the House:

Submission of complaint
The process begins when a member or political party files a formal complaint against a sitting MP.

Reference to committee
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Investigation and findings
The committee can examine evidence, call witnesses, and allow the concerned MP to present a defence. After completing its review, it submits a report outlining its findings and recommendations.

Consideration by the House
The committee’s report is tabled in the Lok Sabha. If it recommends expulsion, a motion is moved in the House to adopt the recommendation.

Voting on expulsion
For the motion to pass, it must secure a majority of members present and voting. If approved, the MP stands expelled from the House.

Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification in 2023

In 2023, a court in Surat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison in a criminal defamation case related to a remark about the “Modi surname”. Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any MP convicted and sentenced to two years or more faces automatic disqualification from Parliament.

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Amit Shah to visit India-Bangladesh border in Assam on February 21

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Published

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit the India-Bangladesh international border in Assam’s Cachar district on February 21, in a move that carries political and administrative significance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

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The visit is notable as action against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh has remained a key electoral issue for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

Ahead of the Home Minister’s arrival, State minister Kaushik Rai, Cachar district commissioner Ayush Garg, and senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and police reviewed security arrangements and preparedness in Natanpur village.

Natanpur, situated along the international boundary in Cachar district, has witnessed the apprehension of over 200 illegal migrants in recent years, including individuals from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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Vijay targets DMK over Rs 2,000 scheme, calls on voters to blow the whistle

Vijay accused the DMK of trying to influence voters through financial promises and urged people to back TVK in the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections.

Published

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With the Tamil Nadu elections approaching, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay launched a strong attack on Chief Minister M K Stalin and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), accusing them of attempting to influence voters through financial promises.

Addressing a massive gathering in Salem, Vijay questioned the timing of the state government’s transfer of Rs 3,000 to women beneficiaries under a welfare initiative, describing it as an “advance payment”. He also criticised the announcement of an additional Rs 2,000 per woman as part of a so-called “summer special”, suggesting the payout was linked to the election outcome.

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‘Take the money, but blow the whistle’

Claiming the DMK was attempting to buy votes, Vijay urged people to accept the financial assistance but support his party at the ballot box. Referring to TVK’s election symbol, he said, “Take the money, but blow the whistle.”

He questioned the rationale behind calling it a “summer allowance”, asking whether summer occurred only this year. According to him, the announcement was prompted by the growing popularity of the TVK and its whistle symbol across the state.

Vijay alleged that Stalin feared increasing support for his party, particularly among women voters. Taking a swipe at the DMK’s experience in governance, he remarked that while the ruling party had experience in corruption, his party was “inexperienced in that”.

Rally restrictions and Karur stampede reference

The TVK leader also criticised restrictions imposed on attendance at the Salem rally, including a reported cap of 4,998 participants and identity verification measures.

Authorities cited a stampede at a rally in Karur last year, in which 41 people lost their lives, as the reason for stricter norms. The DMK accused Vijay of failing to follow standard operating procedures during that event. However, TVK leaders have alleged that the violence was orchestrated to damage the actor’s political prospects.

Vijay dismissed the revised guidelines as politically motivated, quipping that he was familiar only with “Stalin Operating Procedure”. He pledged to continue fighting for justice for those who died in Karur.

TVK’s positioning in a Dravidian-dominated landscape

Vijay and the TVK have emerged as potential challengers in a political landscape long dominated by the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which have alternated in power since the late 1960s.

The actor has ruled out any alliance with the DMK, describing it as his political adversary. His criticism of the AIADMK, however, has been comparatively restrained, a move seen as an attempt to attract swing voters and draw on the legacy of its founder M G Ramachandran.

National parties remain aligned with the state’s principal Dravidian forces for now, though political observers note ongoing discussions and potential shifts in seat-sharing arrangements.

As campaigning gathers pace, Vijay’s rhetoric signals an aggressive push to convert his popularity into electoral gains, positioning the TVK as an alternative to established players in Tamil Nadu politics.