Malegaon, June 30: An alleged aide of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been arrested for his “involvement” in various attacks on churches in Delhi and a churchworker’s murder in Noida in the past one year. The Delhi Police arrested Shailendra Chauhan (25) alias Uday Pratap Singh from Harsh Vihar area in northeast Delhi on Thursday night. “So far, we’ve found his involvement in three cases of assault and attack on Christian priests and churches in Noida and Delhi,” said S.S. Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (northeast).
On September 14, Chauhan had reportedly vandalised and desecrated a church at Sarita Vihar in south Delhi. The police said on October 19, he had killed Conrad Dominic Xavier (25) who was working for a priest at a church at Sector 20 in Noida. On January 5, Chauhan had attacked a priest with a poison-filled injection at a church at Sector 34 in Noida, the police said. A case of attempt to murder was registered against him at the time.
The police said Chauhan owes allegiance to the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh and Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu nationalist organisation. “During preliminary interrogation, Chauhan confessed his role in the three cases,” said Yadav. “He was trying to meet another person involved in cases of vandalism and arson at churches.” The police claimed Chauhan had disclosed his links with Sadhvi Pragya Singh. The sadhvi is one of the prime accused in the Malegaon blast of September 29, 2008.
—Agencies