MUMBAI: Officials of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police yesterday arrested two hardcore militants of the Hindu Janjagruti Committee on the charges of triggering bomb blasts at auditoriums in Vashi in Navi Mumbai and in the neighboring Thane district a month ago.
Initially the police suspected Muslim terrorist groups of being involved in the blasts and feared that the terrorists would also indulge in such terror acts during the then finals of the Indian Premier League cricket match in Navi Mumbai.
Later, working on some clues, the police came to the conclusion that the blasts were the acts of the Hindu fundamentalist group. The police arrested Ramesh Gadkari in Panel suburb of Navi Mumbai and Mangesh Nikam at Kasara in Thane suburb yesterday morning.
The accused during interrogation said that they executed the blasts in order to take revenge for the Marathi language play “Amhi Pachpute,” which they alleged had scenes insulting the Hindu gods. Both the accused were produced before the court of a judicial magistrate first class in Navi Mumbai, which sent them to police custody till June 24.
