The Hindu : National : ATS invokes MCOCA on Malegaon blast accused

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ATS invokes MCOCA on Malegaon blast accused

Special Correspondent

Investigation will be completed within 90 days: ATS chief

Getting a bail is virtually impossible under the Act
“Financial links in connection with the blast being probed”

MUMBAI: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has decided to apply the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) on all the 10 suspects arrested so far in the Malegaon blast case. The MCOCA is a tough Act under which bail is virtually impossible.

At a press conference here on Thursday, ATS chief Hemant Karkare said there was no need for each of the accused to have more than one charge sheet as prescribed under the Act and there were other provisions which could be used to apply the MCOCA.

Some of the accused have cases registered against them earlier, including Lt. .Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Rakesh Dhawade and Sameer Kulkarni. However, only Dhawade has been chargesheeted in an earlier case.

Mr. Karkare said one more person would be arrested. The ATS was granted a transit remand for Sudhakar Chaturvedi who will be produced in the Nashik court on Friday. Chaturvedi was arrested by the Matunga police on November 4 for possessing a military identity card. He is suspected to have links with the Malegaon blast.

The ATS has applied Section 3 (1), 3 (2) and 3 (4) of the MCOCA. Section 3 of the Act refers to punishment for organised crime.

Under the Act, the charge sheet can be filed within 180 days as opposed to the usual 90 days. The case will now shift to the special MCOCA court in Mumbai from Nashik. Mr. Karkare said the investigation would be completed within 90 days.

“Don’t impute motives”

He said the ATS was under zero pressure to carry out this investigation and it was incorrect to impute motives. He said it was not possible to share evidence at every stage as the process of investigation was on. The forensic test results were not yet with the ATS and he could not say if the reports of various narco analysis of the accused appearing in the press were correct or not.

He said the financial links were being probed in connection with the blast. The ATS was working professionally and as per the law, he said in response to questions. Regarding the Samjhauta blast, he clarified that one witness had given some information which could not be taken as the gospel truth. It was subject to verification. Since the ATS was only investigating the Malegaon blast, other agencies would be probing any links with various blasts, he said.

Defending the investigation, he said that ATS was not looking at the caste, colour or even the organisation of the suspects. The case was proceeding on the basis of evidence, he said.

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