The Madhya Pradesh police have chosen to remain tight-lipped over the arrests and detentions of at least three persons from Indore and neighbouring Shajapur district by the Rajasthan Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast case.
When the police authorities here are being contacted and asked to give a background of those picked up from Madhya Pradesh in connection with acts of terror and violence in other states, their crypt reply is: “Contact the Rajasthan and Maharashtra ATS for any further information.”
Last week, the Rajasthan ATS picked up Lokesh Sharma, a resident of Mhow from Indore when he was returning from Chhindwara by road. Lokesh is also facing trial for the murder of local Congress leader and was out on bail. RSS Pracharak Sunil Joshi, who was murdered in December 2007, was also an accused in this case. Lt Colonel Purohit, arrested earlier in the Malegaon blast case, had told the Maharashtra ATS that Sunil Joshi was among those behind the 2008 Malegaon blast.
When this correspondent contacted the Indore senior superintendent of police, D. Srinivas Rao on Sunday to seek information about Lokesh Sharma, he refused to divulge anything and said the Rajasthan ATS should be contacted. After the arrest of Chandrashekar Barod from Chhapri in Shajapur district on April 30, the Rajasthan ATS had also picked up Vishnu Patidar, an influential villager and a relative of Chandrashekar from Kharod Kala village, about 100 kms from the Shajapur district headquarters. While Chandrashekhar, who is a prime accused in the Ajmer blast case, was sent to police custody, Patidar was allowed to return to his village after interrogations. Another person, Dilip Patidar, who was detained from Indore by the Maharashtra ATS last year for recording his statement in connection with the Malegaon blast, has gone missing.