Former CM questions 'contrasting findings'

Nashik: Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan has questioned the "contrasting findings" of investigating agencies in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case.
Chavan, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, was speaking about the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently giving a clean cheat to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five others in the case, during a press conference in the city on Sunday.
He was in the city after attending a programme for tribals in Kalwan.
"The NIA's decision in the Malegaon blasts case is serious. The case was investigated by someone like Hemant Karkare, who sacrificed his life in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The findings of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the NIA are completely different. The NIA took a U-turn in the chargesheet of the case filed recently," Chavan said.
He said it was clear six months ago that the case would fizzle out after chief prosecutor Rohini Salian stated that she was being pressurised.
"Terrorists getting protection is not a good sign. The findings of the ATS should come to the fore. At the same time, people should also know what the NIA has to say about it. The Congress never supported any terrorist," he said.
Chavan also slammed the state government over the issue of drought and said the only option to control farmer suicides was to waive off their loans completely.
He said though the monsoon prediction is good this year, the farmers do not have money to buy seeds and the banks too were also not helping them.