The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has made one more arrest in the Ajmer blast case. The ATS has arrested Harshad Solanki alias Munna alias Raj, who was allegedly one of the main suspect in the Best Bakery incident of Vadodara, which resulted in the death of 14 people in 2002. The ATS has found a connection between Hindu radicals in three states.
“Yes, it is a significant arrest, it is big catch for us to investigate the matter,” says ATS chief Kapil Garg. According to the ATS, 32 year old Harshad was absconding since 2004. Hailing from Vadodara, Harshad was associated with RSS activist late Sunil Joshi till his murder in December, 2007.
Joshi was main suspect in the Ajmer blast case.
“Harshad played a key role in the Ajmer blast. He worked as the main assistant of Sunil Joshi,” the ATS sources said. According to the ATS, Harshad was instrumental in manufacturing bombs to be used in Ajmer Dargah. He was the person who helped in managing equipment’s, packaging and transporting the bombs to Ajmer. He disappeared after a local court ordered to arrest all the suspects in the Bakery case for retrial in the year 2004, following the apex court’s order. The police had arrested all the 17 accused in the Best Bakery case, but four of them, including Harshad, went underground. Harshad admitted that he led the violent mob along with his associates in the year 2002.
One Zaheeda Sheikh had lodged an FIR in Vadodara on March 2,2002, and Harshad was named in the FIR. ATS chief Garg said it was a big catch for the police. Asked whether the ATS will question RSS leader Indresh Kumar, he said the matter was under investigations. The ATS said that it will leave no stone unturned in tracing rest of the suspects, including Swami Asimanand. The ATS has produced Harshad before a local court and the court had remanded him to police custody till November 9.
According to the ATS, it was the fourth arrest in Ajmer blast.