2006 Malegaon bombings

2006 blasts at Malegaon
Location Malegaon, Maharashtra, India
Date 8 September 2006 (UTC+5.5)
Target Vicinity of Mosque
Attack type
 Bombings
Deaths 37
Non-fatal injuries
 >125
Perpetrators (Suspected outfits)—Abhinav Bharat[1]

The 2006 Malegaon bombings were a series of bomb blasts that took place on 8 September 2006 in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, 290 km northeast of Mumbai. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially blamed the bombings on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), but a chargesheet filed in 2013 put the blame on the Hindu extremist group Abhinav Bharat.[1][2] On 25 April 2016, the court found the initial ATS charges to be fabricated and released the nine Muslims previously arrested.[3]

Explosions

The explosions - which resulted in at least 37 fatalities and 125 injuries - took place in a Muslim cemetery, adjacent to a mosque, at around 13:15 local time after Friday prayers on the holy day of Shab e Bara'at.[4] Most of the blast victims were Muslim pilgrims. Security forces spoke of "two bombs attached to bicycles," but other reports indicated that three devices had exploded. A stampede ensued after the devices exploded. A curfew was imposed in the town and state paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas to prevent unrest.

Reactions

Investigations

Arrests

On 10 September, NDTV reported that investigators had identified the owner of one of the bicycles on which a bomb was planted.[14] On the same day, police released sketches of two suspects wanted in connection with the bomb attacks.[15] On 11 September, Maharashtra Director General of Police P. S. Pasricha said that the officers investigating the blasts had produced leads and expressed confidence that a breakthrough would be achieved soon.[16]

On 30 October, the first arrest is made of Noor-Ul-Huda, an activist of the Students Islamic Movement of India.[17] The DGP of Mumbai, said that the two other suspects are Shabeer Batterywala and Raees Ahmad. On 6 November it was reported that the prime conspirator Shabbir Batterywala is an operative of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the co-conspirator is Raees Ahmad of SIMI.[18]

Later in 2013, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested four persons, namely Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Manohar Singh and Rajendra Choudhary, all belong to the Hindu right wing group Abhinav Bharat.[19] Charges were filed against them on 22 May.[20] Subsequently, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court dismissed all charges against the eight Muslim men by initially arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad in 2006.[21][22]

Suspicions and press releases

The Maharashtra police initially suspected Bajrang Dal, the Lashkar-e-Toiba or the Jaish-e-Mohammed of involvement in the attacks. No evidence was released against any of these groups,[23] though the police claimed on 13 October to have identified the perpetrators.[24] Lashkar-e-Toiba has had contacts with the controversial Students Islamic Movement of India in the region before.[25] Police are also suspecting Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami in the attacks.[26] On September 10, police sources said that the methods used are similar to attacks on mosques earlier in 2006 for which 16 Bajrang Dal activists, allegedly part of a "fringe group" of the organization, were arrested but not charged.[27]

Malegaon has been the focus of communal tension for some time, which spilled out into the open in 1984, 1992, and 2001, when there were large scale protests over the United States invasion of Afghanistan. Police had killed 12 Muslim protesters after a brief altercation with them.[28] The Taliban regime in Afghanistan had enjoyed immense support from Muslims in Malegaon.[9]

On May 2006, police recovered a cache of RDX explosives and automatic rifles from the region based on information they said was provided by arrested extremist Islamists.[29][30] The arrested were former members of the Students Islamic Movement of India.[31]

In the September 2006 incident, police investigations have determined that the explosives contained in these bombings were "a cocktail of RDX, ammonium nitrate and fuel oil — the same mixture used in 7/11",[32] referring to the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, a terrorist incident for which several Islamist groups are suspects. Since the investigation was still under way, Nasik Superintendent of Police Rajvardhan declined to give details, saying: "We can't say anything till we get reports from all the agencies".[33]

However, the Anti Terroris Squad has prima facie ruled out the involvement of Hindu Nationalist groups like the Bajrang Dal in the Malegaon blasts citing two reasons:

  1. RDX is only available to Islamist outfits.
  2. Bajrang Dal activists so far have only used crude bombs, nothing as sophisticated as the ones in Malegaon.[34]

Ajai Sahni, an intelligence analyst who tracks terrorist groups in South Asia, also said it was unlikely to be a Hindu group because they "lacked the organisation for such an attack".[15]

On September 12, 2006, Indian Prime Minister said it was inappropriate to "rule out or rule in" the involvement of Hindu groups. "I think there should be a fair investigation which inspires confidence and brings out the truth and nothing but the truth without any pre-conceived notion. That has to be the objective".[35]

B. Raman, in an op-ed published on September 11, noted that "while it is too early to rule out the possibility of either Islamic or Hindu extremists as the perpetrators, there have been "attempts by some leaders of the Muslim community to create a divide between the community and the police by questioning the impartiality of the police and levelling other allegations against the investigating officers".[36]

As of October 30, 2006, the most recent arrests involved members of the Students Islamic Movement of India and suspicions are presently directed at them as, after the arrests, the police have claimed to be closer to solving the case.[17]

On 28 November 2006, Mumbai police stated that two Pakistani nationals were involved in the explosions. "We have successfully detected the Malegaon blasts case. We are, however, on the lookout for eight more suspects in the case," said DGP PS Pasricha. The Anti-Terrorism Squad probing into the case has already arrested eight suspects, including two booked in the July 11 Mumbai serial blasts, in connection with four explosions that rocked the town killing 31 people and injuring more than 200.[37][38]

Three accused gave a confession about their involvement in the conspiracy, but soon after, two of them retracted before a magistrate, saying they had not made a voluntary disclosure. This was revealed to a special court by the accused themselves when they were produced before it for remand. The development assumes significance as under MCOCA, a confession does not have evidential value if it is not a voluntary and true disclosure.

Seeking their remand, public prosecutor Raja Thakre said the accused had played a vital role in the conspiracy and investigations conducted by Anti-Terrorist Squad so far had revealed involvement of more persons who are yet to be arrested.[39] On 16 November 2011 Seven accused in the Malegaon blasts were released on bail.[40]

After taking over the case NIA contradicted the ATS and CBI findings.ATS arrested four persons namely Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Manohar Singh and Rajendra Choudhary.On 22 May 2013 they were all chargesheeted.[20]And Suspicion shifted from SIMI to Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu right wing group.[1]

On 25 April 2016 all charges were dropped against the Muslim men by Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court who were arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad in 2006.[41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 2006 Malegaon blasts: 9 accused set to walk free
  2. ↑ "NIA to nail Hindu radicals in Malegaon chargesheet - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  3. ↑ How the State makes Muslims pay for Hindutva terror
  4. ↑ 31 killed, 100 injured in Malegaon blasts
  5. ↑ Blasts rock Malegaon 38 killed, over 100 injured 'Hindustan Times' Archived 5 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Home Minister Shivraj Patil". Chicago Tribune.
  7. ↑ Khan, Aftab (9 September 2006). "Gandhi Calls on Indians to Maintain Calm Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  8. ↑ Centre rushing additional forces to Malegaon Indian Express Archived 17 May 2009 at WebCite
  9. 1 2 "Indian town seething with anger". BBC News. 9 September 2006.
  10. ↑ Religious leaders pray for peace NDTV Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ "National Religious leaders pray for peace".
  12. ↑ "Gujarat Muslims hold anti-Pak rally ''IBN''". Ibnlive.com. 2006-09-09. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  13. ↑ "Blasts kill 37 in India graveyard". BBC News. 8 September 2006.
  14. ↑ Breakthrough in India Blasts Probe Saudi Gazette
  15. 1 2 AFP Police release sketches of India blast suspects Yahoo News (Link dead as of 15 January 2007)
  16. ↑ "Cops gain vital leads 'Rediff.com'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  17. 1 2 "Malegaon blasts: SIMI activist held". The Times of India. 30 October 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2006.
  18. ↑ "Police arrest Malegaon blasts 'conspirator' - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  19. ↑ 2006 Malegaon blast case: Mumbai court drops charges against nine accused
  20. 1 2 SNIA rubbishes ATS-CBI's fake bomb-based investigations in 2006 Malegaon blast case
  21. ↑ Mehta, Tejas (25 April 2016). "Malegaon Blast: After 5 Years In Jail, Charges Dropped Against 8 Muslim Men". NDTV. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  22. ↑ Nandgaonkar, Satish (25 April 2016). "Eight accused in 2006 Malegaon blasts case discharged". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  23. ↑ Prafulla Marpakwar (September 10, 2006). "No evidence of Bajrang involvement". Times of India. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  24. ↑ Perpetrators of Malegaon Blasts identified
  25. ↑ South Asia Terrorism Portal Archived 28 January 2010 at WebCite
  26. ↑ "Malegaon blasts: Is it Bajrang or Lashkar?". Times of India. September 9, 2006. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  27. ↑ "DNA India". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  28. ↑ "Indian town seething with anger". BBC News. 9 September 2006.
  29. ↑ Serial blasts kill 31 in India al-Jazeera
  30. ↑ "Police Recover Cache of RDX explosives".
  31. ↑ NDTV Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  32. ↑ "Malegaon, 7/11: Same Lethal cocktail used - The Times of India". The Times Of India. 2006-09-12.
  33. ↑ Indian Express Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  34. ↑ "Malegaon, 7/11: Same Lethal cocktail used". The Times of India. 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  35. ↑ PM Not OK With 'Rule Out, Rule In' of Hindus Samachar
  36. ↑ "Terrorists make no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims ''Rediff.com''". In.rediff.com. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  37. ↑ "Police crack Malegaon serial blasts case, spot SIMI hand- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times". The Times Of India. 28 November 2006.
  38. ↑ "Page Not Found".
  39. ↑ "3 confess in Malegaon blast case, 2 retract". Rediff.com. 2004-12-31. Retrieved 2013-09-28.
  40. ↑ "Malegaon: Seven accused released on bail". The Statesman. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  41. ↑ Mehta, Tejas (25 April 2016). "Malegaon Blast: After 5 Years In Jail, Charges Dropped Against 8 Muslim Men". NDTV. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

External links

Wikinews has related news: 38 dead, over 180 injured as blasts rock Maharashtra town

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