ATS files charge sheet against 12 in Nallasopara arms haul case

Says accused belonged to groups like Sanatan Sanstha, Hindu Janjagruti

The 12 accused arrested in the Nallasopara arms haul case belong to organisations like Sanathan Sanstha, Hindu Janjagruti and similar smaller outfits, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has claimed in a charge sheet filed in the case on Wednesday.

The accused carried out reconnaissance with the intention to physically harm rational individuals and littérateurs who speak against the Hindu religion and its traditions and customs”, the ATS said.

The accused were motivated to establish a Hindu Rashtra as explained in the book Kshatra Dharma Sadhana published by Sanathan Sanstha, the ATS charge sheet said.

Undermining unity

It said they had conspired to form a terrorist gang of youths with similar mindset to work towards undermining the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country. The gang had planned to use countrymade pistols and bombs, and target individuals who would speak, write, perform against the Hindu dharma, its traditions and customs, to terrorise common people.

A conspiracy to plant a bomb during the Sunburn music festival in Pune could not be carried out because one of the accused thought he had been was exposed to a CCTV camera at the venue, the charge sheet said.

The charge sheet was filed against Sharad Kalaskar (25), Vaibhav Raut (44), Sudhanwa Gondhlekar (39), Shrikant Pangarkar (40), Avinash Pawar (30), Leeladhar Ukhirde (32), Vasudeo Suryawanshi (19), Suchit Rangswamy (37), Bharat Kurne (37), Amol Kale (34), Amit Baddi (27) and Ganesh Miskin (28) under the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

Raids across State

On August 7, the ATS said it had carried out raids in Nalasopara, Solapur, Satara and Sangli and found 23 live countrymade bombs, 15 pistols, one countrymade weapon, one partially completed countrymade weapon, three pistols without barrels, 10 pistol barrels, six pistol magazines, three partially made pistol magazines, seven pistol slides, 41 live rounds of ammunition of assorted bores, 26 electric and non-electric detonators, tools and raw-material to make country bombs and fire arms, several CD drives, pen drives, memory cards, hard discs, eight number plates of vehicles, copies of Marathi book Kshatra Dharma Sadhana , several pocket diaries and notebooks.

Besides, two cars, five motorcycles and parts of a dismantled motorcycle were seized in raids carried out in Pune, Nallasopara, Satara, Kowad and Beed.