Pune: ATS seizes more arms from terror suspect

Vaibhav Raut

On Saturday, the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad seized a large quantity of country-made arms from terror suspect Sudhanva Gondhalkar, who was held in Pune on Friday. The arrests have led the ATS to probe the involvement of more suspects who were in contact with the three arrested Right wing sympathisers for allegedly plotting terror attacks in Mumbai, Pune, Nalasopara, Satara and Kolhapur.

The ATS had on Friday arrested Vaibhav Raut, 40, Sharad Kalaskar, 25 - both of whom were held from Nalasopara - and Gondhalkar, 39, who are supposed members of the controversial Sanatan Sanstha.

Sources in the ATS said they have seized 11 country pistols with magazines, six number plates of vehicles, nine partially made firearms, hand books carrying details of how to make bombs, hard disk, SIM and memory cards and several printouts about explosives, among others. The seizure of this material points to a bigger conspiracy and indicates the involvement of more people, the source added. The ATS teams have already begun interrogating suspects in Nalasopara, Pune and Solapur.

Abhay Vartak, the official spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha, has denied the involvement of their members. "None of the three arrested accused belong to the Sanatan Sanstha," he said. Raut's wife Saulaxmi, too, claims her husband is innocent. The police had on Friday seized eight bombs from Raut's house and 12 more from his shop.

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