A sting operation aired as part of an India Today investigation on 8 October shows two men linked to Sanatan Sanstha confessing on camera to their role in a blast in Navi Mumbai in 2008.
Sanatan Sanstha, a right-wing organisation set up by hypnotherapist Jayant Athavale, has a long history of being associated with violent Hindutva.
Six members of the Sanstha were named as accused in the planned bomb attacks outside three Maharashtra theatres between January and June 2008.
In a chargesheet filed by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), six 'sadhaks', as they are known, were named as the prime accused – Ramesh Gadkari, Vikram Bhave, Mangesh Nikam, Santosh Angre, Hemant Chalke and Hari Divekar.
In 2011, Gadkari and Bhave were sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Rs 11,000 each. The rest were acquitted on grounds of insufficient evidence.
Acquitted Admit to Their Role in Bombings
The investigative report by India Today revealed that out of the four accused, who were let off, two, Nikam (45) and Divekar (58), have admitted to their role in the bombings.
I was at Vashi. I just put it (allegedly the bomb) in a plastic bag and left. That was my role.Mangesh Nikam, Member, Sanatan Sanstha
Nikam also confessed that the bombs were planted to avenge what he called a "wrongful depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses" in a Marathi play running at the targeted Vashi theatre.
In the case I was involved in, people were parodying our gods and goddesses, so we tried to stop it... nothing else. We protested over the play but nothing happened so we did this. If we wanted to kill people, we could have killed them anyway.Mangesh Nikam, Member, Sanatan Sanstha
Nikam also said that he has been a part of the organisation since 2008. He was accused of carrying a timer, a detonator and one circuit with remote control, among other things in the ATS chargesheet.
‘Had a Bigger Role Than the Charges’
Another member of the Sanstha, Divekar, was recorded as saying that his part was bigger than what he was accused of.
Divekar was a close aide to the two convicts in the case – he was arrested 10 years back for his alleged involvement in the three bomb attacks.
He said that he had been in possession of the explosives, something the ATS did not charge him for.
"When the police came to conduct the searches, I handed them whatever I had with myself," he said.
When India Today asked him what all he had in his possession, he said there were one or two revolvers, detonators, gelatin sticks and digital meters with him.
He was in possession of 20 gelatin sticks and 23 detonators for about 5-6 days till the police took all of it away.
However, the ATS chargesheet did not say anything was recovered from him.
The 2008 Bombings
On 4 June 2008, a low intensity bomb exploded in the parking of Gadkari Rangayatan (theatre) in Thane, leaving seven injured. The Samiti was protesting a play 'Amhi Pachpute' that was to be staged at the Gadkari Rangayatan Theatre in Thane.
Earlier that year, in May, a low intensity bomb exploded at the Vishnu Bhave Auditorium in Vashi, Thane district and a live bomb was recovered from the Cineraj cinema at Panvel, Raigad district.
(With inputs from India Today, NDTV and PTI)
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