NIA puzzled as Malegaon blast witness says he was pressurized by ATS to accuse Muslims

[email protected] (CD Network)
December 3, 2012
malegaon_blast

New Delhi, December 3: Key witness and approver in the 2006 Malegaon blast case Abrar Ahmed's revelation that he was pressurized by Maharashtra ATS to take names of the Muslim accused in the case, has ironically become a “hurdle” for National Investigation Agency's (NIA) probe of the case.

Post-Swami Aseemanand's confession of a Hindu hand behind the blast, the NIA was investigating how the nine Muslim men arrested by Maharashtra ATS came to be implicated in the case. NIA had hoped to reach the source of the information that put the nine men behind bars through Abrar.

"That aspect of the case is crucial to the investigation. However, now Abrar is putting the entire blame on ATS, alleging a large conspiracy to implicate Muslim men in which even Lt Col Prasad Purohit was involved," said an NIA officer.

NIA is still not ready to completely believe Abrar's statements which he has made as part of an affidavit to court and also an interview to a news magazine.

"His ATS pressure theory does not seem entirely true. As per our investigation, ATS bought into his information after some confirmation from its own side. That is why it is important to know what was the source of his information and why he is making this statement now," said the officer.

In an interview to a news magazine, Abrar revealed that he implicated the nine men under pressure from ATS and had later met Purohit who asked him to maintain the ATS line. Purohit, who was in military intelligence at the time of the blast, had even generated an input after the blast naming Noorul Huda, the main accused later arrested by ATS.

NIA, which has discussed with Purohit on this, said he told them that he generated the input through interpolation of facts and not based on any genuine information. "It is also possible that he got to know of the ATS line of investigation and generated the input as an alibi just as he did in the case of 2008 Malegaon blast when he generated a similar input about Pragya Singh Thakur. However, it is equally possible that he deliberately misled the investigation (he was in regular touch with ATS those days) and ATS goofed up," said the officer.

Interestingly, though, NIA has as yet not given a clean chit to the nine men arrested by Maharashtra ATS. "We have two versions of an incident and both are equally compelling. While ATS has backed its case with forensic evidence, Aseemanand's confession in light of 2008 Malegaon blast case cannot be ignored. But until we get some evidence prove one of these right or wrong, everyone is a suspect," said the officer.

Aseemanand had earlier made two statements in which he said that there was a plan to use Muslim men to plant bombs in Muslim dominated areas.



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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 29,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday put up a dramatic display of unity at a closely watched joint press briefing, firmly dismissing weeks of speculation about a power-sharing tussle within the Congress. With the high command nudging both leaders to sit together and settle the dust, the meeting became a political spectacle, ending with the duo declaring that there was “no confusion, no differences.”

Calling the reports of a rift “manufactured confusion,” Siddaramaiah said the talks had gone smoothly, even joking about their breakfast. “Breakfast was very good. All three of us enjoyed it,” he said. “We want to end this confusion once and for all. For local elections and for 2028, our mission is clear — Congress must return to power. There is no difference between me and DKS, not now, not before.”

He blamed the media for fuelling rumours and reiterated absolute adherence to the party leadership. “From tomorrow, let there be no confusion. What the high command says, we will follow.”

Siddaramaiah also assured that the Assembly session starting December 8 would run smoothly and vowed that Congress would take on the BJP and JD(S) “together.”

Shivakumar echoed the chief minister word for word, stressing loyalty and discipline. “People have given us a massive mandate. It is our duty to deliver,” he said. “This government was formed under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. We both have complete trust in the high command. If they tell me to wait, I will wait.”

He added that the two leaders had discussed strategy for the 2028 Assembly elections. “Whatever the CM says, I agree. We are loyal soldiers of the party. The party may be facing challenges nationally, but we will keep it strong in Karnataka.”

Shivakumar also said Siddaramaiah would soon visit his home for lunch or dinner — another symbolic gesture meant to underline their unity.

Both leaders later posted on social media describing the breakfast meeting as “productive” and focused on “Karnataka’s priorities.”

The BJP, however, rejected the show of camaraderie as “pure bunkum,” accusing Congress of trying to paper over an internal power struggle. But Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar insisted their united front would continue — and that there was “no confusion” within the state leadership.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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