Investigators have neglected ‘Hindu terror’ for a long time

On Monday, the newly-formed National Investigative Agency (NIA) filed a 3,000-page charge sheet in the Goa bomb blast case, charging eight accused of terror activities and waging war against India.

Last month, the Rajasthan police had arrested some men — owing alliance to Hindu fundamentalist groups — for their alleged involvement in the October 2005 New Delhi bombings, Samjhauta Express bomb blasts and the Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad.

Prior to that, in September 2008, the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) arrested Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and lieutenant colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit in the Malegaon blast case.

All these arrests are an indication that investigators are slowly shifting their focus to the once neglected ‘Hindu terror’ groups and are waking up to the potent threat of ‘Hindutva terrorism’. Even though evidence of such groups existing has been there since 2002, investigative agencies have always turned a blind-eye towards them. Timely action on part of investigators could have helped saved many lives and prevent certain blasts.

In December 2002, an improvised explosive device (IED) was found outside Bhopal railway station. Exactly a year later, a similar IED was found in Bhopal, and it later transpired that the IEDs were made by two individuals — Ramnarayan Kalsangra and Sunil Joshi — belonging to a local Hindu fundamentalist group.

However, no action was taken against them and later the duo was found to be allegedly involved in the Malegaon blast case.

Similar, in 2006, a scrap dealer from Ahmednagar district was arrested with a huge quantity of explosive in his possession. Investigations revealed that there was a huge flourishing underground market for such explosives. In the same year, two activists of the Bajrang Dal were accidentally killed in Nanded while the bomb they were making exploded. It was later found that the duo was linked to three mosque blasts in Parbhani, Purna and Jalna.

Surprisingly, investigative agencies have time and again neglected cases that have allegedly had the ‘Hindu terror’ angle. The New Delhi Jama Masjid blasts, Samjahuta Express blasts, Ajmer blasts, Nanded blasts, Mecca Masjid blasts and the Jaipur bomb blasts, all these cases have been on the backburner.

However, in cases like the 11/7 Mumbai train blasts, the Gokul
Chat and Lumbini Park blasts in Hyderabad and the New Delhi serial blasts, arrests have been quick and the investigation more forthcoming.