Fringe group terror plot gets bigger, ATS arrests two more accused in Nalasopara bomb case

The conspiracy to carry out bomb blast across six cities of Maharashtra is getting bigger and bigger day by day. In the Nalasopara crude bomb case, the Maharashtra ATS has arrested two more accused from the state's Jalgaon district.

Recently, the team of ATS has raided a home of Liladhar, alias Bhaiyya alias Vijay Lodhi, the resident of Sakali village in Yeola taluka of Jalgaon district. 

During the raid, ATS had recovered 3 crude bomb explosive materials from the house of accused Lodhi. Police has also conducted raids on Vasudev Suryavanshi who is a hardcore sadhak of Sanatan Sanstha. Apart from explosive materials, the police has also recovered 2 mobile handsets, 4 pen drives, two vehicle number plates, one DVD, 5 pocket diaries, and a sim card each from the house of both the accused. 

According to Maharastra ATS, accused Vasudev Suryavanshi runs a garage and he was in touch with Vaibhav Raut and Sudhanva Godhalekar. ATS suspect that Vasudev Suryavanshi has provided logistical support to the other accused. Not only this, ATS sources also claim that Vasudev and the other accused had done a recce of potential targets. 

READ | Sanatan Terror Plot: Maharashtra ATS To Produce Fresh Evidence In Court, Seek For Longer Custody Of All Accused

Meanwhile, the accused Liladhar Lodhi is a small trader who deals in a grocery business. In their remand copy, ATS mentions the following points to get custody of the accused.  

• The accused were allegedly doing a recce of people against Hindu religion, people making films against Hindu religion. We want to check who all were on the target list
• We want to check if the accused were planning any terror activity in Jalgaon and  Nashik
• We want to know from where the accused got the explosives

Lawyer of the Sanatan Sanstha Sanjeev Punalekar, who is also representing the accused Vasudev Suryavanshi and Bhaiyya Lodhi alleges that ATS didn’t have any proof against his clients and that they have just been changing the goal posts for many days. In a fresh arrest as well ATS, wasn’t able to show the direct involvement of the said accused in Nalasopara crude arms haul case, he claimed. 

After hearing both the parties, a special UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) court had sent both the accused in police custody till September 17. 

In the 2nd week of August, Maharashtra ATS had raided a house in Nalasopara and seized a huge quantity of arms & ammunition from the Sanatan Sadhak Vaibhav Raut’s home. During the investigation, it emerged that followers of right-wing fringe groups were trying to carry out bomb blasts across Maharashtra state. The ATS also managed to crack the rationalist Narendra Dabholkar’s murder case.

Till now, a total of 7 accused have been arrested in this case. The mastermind of this fringe terror group, however, is believed to still be at large.

READ | Sanatan Terror Plot: Maharashtra ATS Nabs Two More Men In Connection With Explosives Recovery Case