The Samjhauta Express blasts of 18 Feb 2007 killed about 68 people and injured 50. The initial suspicion of investigators was on Pakistan and Bangladesh based militant organisations. However after the Malegaon blasts the Mumabi ATS suddenly felt that Lt. Col. Purohit had used RDX in Samjhauta blasts and said so in the court and media. This despite the fact that no RDX was used in the blasts. The blasts were done with the help of Potassium Chlorate and Sulphur. However these facts did not deter the Police from cooking stories. Despite the fact that the Police had to reverse its stand in the court, and denied any link of Shrikant Purohit to Samjhauta Express blasts the damage to India’s reputation and interests was done. After 26/11 Pakistan kept harping on the inconsistency in Samjhauta probe and cast aspersions on India’s allegations. Thanks to ASI Tukaram Omble, because of whom Kasab was caught alive, that we have a very credible evidence against Pakistan otherwise we really would have had a tough time after the Samjhauta probe fiasco.
However, we still dont know what made the Police claim in the first place that Shrikant Purohit and not Pakistan based terrorist organisations were behind the Samjhauta attacks. Did it recieve any special instructions from its political masters or was it just an human error ? Are Shrikant Purohit and Pragya Thakur responsible for Malegaon blasts or were they framed for larger political goals ?
If the ATS is to be believed then Pragya Thakur and Shrikant Purohit have confessed to their role in Malegaon blasts. It has happened before that terrorists confess to Police but do an about turn in courts. However many terrorists have admitted to their crime in interviews to media. The most famous instance is of Afzal Guru, accused in Parliament attack case. Even terrorists of Indian Mujaheedin responsible for Delhi blasts, caught after Batla House encounter confessed to their crime in an interview to India Today magazine and so did Mansoor Peerbhoy in an interview to Indian Express. Peerbhoy has even applied to the court to become an approver. Kasab’s confession about his role in 26/11 is well known. What is interesting is the fact that we have seen confessions of hardcore terrorists like Kasab, Peerbhoy, Afzal, Saquib Nisar, Zia-Ur – Rehman and Shakeel but the Malegaon blasts accused who used a cycle bomb and killed five people in a crowded place have not yet confessed to the police even after narco and brain mapping tests.
There is no doubt that Pragya Thakur and Shrikant Purohit should be hanged if they are responsible for killing innocents. But if the leaks of their confession to the media prove fictitious and the court sets them free then the Government would have to answer a lot of questions.
India Unbound 