Key 'saffron' terror witness changes stand

NEW DELHI: Delhi-based endocrinologist Dr RP Singh has resiled from his statement to the Maharashtra ATS where he allegedly admitted to have attended meetings where plots were hatched to avenge jihadi terror attacks, in what is yet another blow to the efforts of the prosecution to catch those accused of "Hindu" terror.
TOI had reported in Thursday's edition that witnesses in "saffron" terror cases had been turning hostile during trials since the change of government at the Centre in 2014 and that many more were likely to follow suit.
Singh, who was a consultant endocrinologist with a reputed private hospital, has said he was "tortured" by the Maharashtra ATS to frame hardline Hindutva outfit Abhinav Bharat and its functionaries.
The ATS had claimed that Singh had attended meetings in Bhopal, Nashik and Faridabad where "Hindu hardliners" Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Swami Assemanand and retired Army major Ramesh Upadhyaya and others dicussesd plans to attack mosques and other targets as part of their " bomb ka badla bomb" retaliation against jihadi terror. Considered one of the most important witnesses in the alleged Hindu terror cases, Singh made the fresh claims few days back in front of a magistrate under section 164 of CrPC.
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The ATS had alleged that the conspiracy to carry out attacks in Malegaon was hatched at the April 11, 2008 Bhopal meeting for which the ATS had relied on the statements of Singh and few others.
As per the investigation of the ATS, the doctor was present in the meeting, which were attended by accused Sudhakar Dwivedi, Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Aseemanand, Ramesh Upadhaya and Samir Kulkarni among others.
However, in his fresh disclosure, which is accepted as evidence in court, Singh has claimed, "I was tortured by Maharashtra ATS to give statement earlier against Abhinav Bharat and its members". Singh, to back his claim, has even submitted evidence in the form of travel receipts, documents showing that he was personally submitting his tax returns on the dates he was alleged to have attended the meetings. He has also produced witnesses who have backed his claim that he never went to Bhopal and Nashik.
A senior NIA official said, "He himself recently approached the Investigating officer of Malegaon 2008 blast case and desired to give a statement. He said he was ready to file an affidavit in the court and even give a statement in front of a magistrate".
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Another key witness Yashpal Bhadana, who also had allegedly attended these meetings according to his previous statements to ATS, has also retracted from his statement in front of a magistrate. Bhadana had told the ATS that he had attended the Bhopal meeting where it was discussed to carry a bomb blast in Muslim area, Malegaon for which Pragya Thakur took responsibility to provide men for planting the bomb. He stated in his 164 CrPC statement now that "he was coerced by ATS to say these things and he never attended the meeting".
The two fresh statements recorded under 164 of Criminal Procedure Code can turn the course of investigations conducted by ATS Maharashtra and CBI earlier, in which the Hindu fringe group and its members were blamed for a larger conspiracy.
"As per ATS and CBI, these two witnesses proved the alleged conspiracy meeting in Malegaon blast. But their fresh claims are contrary to what ATS chargesheet says," said a source. NIA, top sources say, has completed the probe in Malegaon 2008 blast case, and a decision on chargesheet would be taken by it in soon.