The National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the first time revealed to ABP News that Rajendra Chowdhary, accused in Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blast cases, had killed Sunil Joshi.
The NIA also claimed Chowdhary had confessed that Sunil Joshi was the mastermind of eight blasts that took place between 2006 and 2008. More than 200 persons lost their lives during these blasts. Watch: NIA says Sunil Joshi was behind eight blasts
Chowdhary shot dead right-wing radical Sunil Joshi by emptying two firearms near his hideout on December 29, 2007 because he had threatened to surrender before the police, the NIA said.
Chowdhary was riding pillion on a motorbike driven by Lokesh Sharma when he shot dead Joshi, who was planning to spill the beans.
The duo had done a recce of the place and Sharma, who is already in NIA custody, has confirmed to the investigators the spot where Joshi was shot dead, the agency’s special prosecuting officer Subhash Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya also said that Sunil Joshi’s murder was a part of a larger conspiracy.
A team of investigators from the National Investigation Agency scanned the dense jungles adjoining Bagli town of Dewas district in search of hideouts and evidence of places used to make and test bomb by hardliners including the slain RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi, who are wanted in connection with the Samjhauta, Malegaon and Mecca Masjid blasts.
NIA’s investigation has also revealed that Sunil Joshi along with Ramji Kalasangara and Sandeep Dange hatched the conspiracy of blasts. They have planned it in 2001 and met in Ajmer on October, 2005 to execute it. The probe also discovered that a training camp was organised on January 4, 2006 in the jungles adjoining Bagli town of Dewas in order to make and test bomb.
Another saffron group member Kamal Chouhan was arrested from Depalpur by NIA, he was taken twice to these jungles as he too had confessed about making and testing the bombs used in Samjhauta and Mecca Masjid blasts. Dasrath, Tej Ram, Manohar Singh Lodhi and Balbir Thakur were also arrested.
Earlier, Union home secretary RK Singh said that at least 10 people having close links with saffron outfits were named accused in various acts of terror across India. Eight of these people belong to Malwa region.
However, Madhya Pradesh industry minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said that the NIA is trying to malign the atmosphere and its investigation is politically motivated.
Madhya Pradesh home minister Umashankar Gupta alleged that the NIA is trying to justify the statement made by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde in Jaipur.
Courtesy: http://www.newsbullet.in/india/34-more/39436-sunil-joshi-was-the-mastermind-of-eight-blasts-claims-nia