ATS to probe if held Sanatan terror suspects had specific human targets

ATS team investigating if pistols, bike and licence plates were to be used to carry out assassinations on the lines of Dabholkar and Gauri Lankesh

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that arrested three right-wing terror suspects recently is checking if the trio had specific human targets, even as raids and seizure of more weapons continued.

The cache of explosives, including 20-odd bombs

A senior ATS officer said they are also probing if the arrested accused are involved in the murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare.

That ATS recovered from Raut's home and shop. Pics/Hanif Patel

Officers said the seizures point to the fact that the accused have some training in bomb-making, and the possibility that they'd planned to use it in crowded places. The state ATS is also finding out if the motorcycle number plates seized were to be used for the same.

Vaibhav Raut

The Sunday raids were at locations in Pune and Nalasopara based on interrogation of the three accused — Vaibhav Raut, 40, Sharad Kalaskar, 25, both of whom were held from Nalasopara, and Sudhanva Gondhalkar, 39, who was held from Pune. All are suspected to have links with Sanathan Sanstha, which the organisation has denied.

Sudhanva Gondhalkar and Sharad Kalaskar. File pics

From Nalasopara, the ATS seized five more country-made pistols, three incomplete pistols, 11 cartridges of 9-mm pistols, and several loose parts of guns, such as triggers and springs. From Pune, a laptop, six hard disks, five pen drives and nine cellphones among other items were seized.

20
Bombs seized during raids on Friday

05
Pistols seized from Nalasopara on Sunday

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