The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday arrested Swami Asimanand, the alleged mastermind of the Ajmer, Malegaon and Mecca masjid blast cases, from Hardwar.
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Rajasthan, which recently filed chargesheet in the 2007 Ajmer blast case, described Asimanand as a central figure in planning and
guiding a group of Hindu radicals in the blast. The chargesheet mentioned that Swami led a movement titled “Shudhikaran Abhiyan” for bringing back converted Christian tribals back to Hindism. He presided over an important meeting at Ujjain during the Kumbh in April 2004, and resolved to take revenge of blasts occurred at Hindu places of worshipping by Islamic groups.
“Asimanand was the person who motivated the Hindu radicals to carry out blasts and provided them support and help. He was last seen in May, 2010, and disappeared when Devendra Gupta was arrested by the ATS in connection with the Ajmer blast case,” said a senior official of Rajasthan ATS. Asimanad was active in 12 districts, spreading in three states — Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Swami Asimanand, 59, who is also known as Swami Omkarnath, was produced by the CBI officials before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate in New Delhi. The magistrate granted him the transit remand for two days. He will be produced before the designated court in Hyderabad for further remand, said a senior CBI official.