Aseemanand admits involvement in right-wing terror

Jailed RSS leader Swami Aseemanand, prime accused in Mecca Masjid blast case, has confessed that he and several Sangh activists among others had a direct role in Malegaon, Samjhauta Express, Ajmer and Mecca blasts, security agencies claimed today.

Aseemanand, 59, gave a detailed description of the involvement of the activists and self-styled spiritual leaders in several terror attacks across the country during the last three years in his confessional statement given to a Special CBI court in New Delhi, the agencies said.

In the statement recorded before the magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC, Aseemanand is believed to have laid bare the role of right wing extremists in executing bomb blasts in Mecca Masjid, Malegaon, Samjhaouta Express, Ajmer Sharif among others, sources in the agencies said. Several people were killed in these attacks.

The statements recorded under the section are legally admissible.

They said Jatin Chatterjee alias Aseemanand, a post-graduate in Science, told the court, that several pracharaks of Rashtriya Swamyamsevak Sangha (RSS) were directly involved in planning, financing and executing bomb blasts at these locations to avenge the terror attacks taking place in the country.

Known for his alleged fiery hate speeches against minorities, Assemanand was arrested by the CBI from his hideout in Haridwar on November 19 last year for his alleged involvement in Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad that left nine people dead.

His name had also come up during the probe in Malegaon blast of 2008 when Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad recovered the number of the Swami's driver from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, another Abhinav Bharat member and an accused arrested in the Malegaon blast case.

Aseemanand, who claimed to have transformed during his tenure in prison, is believed to have told the court names of several RSS leaders including that of Indresh Kumar, Sunil Joshi among others who were allegedly instrumental in conspiracies behind these blasts, sources said.

He told the court about the alleged involvement of leaders from the RSS, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, besides some members of other extremists groups like Abhinav Bharat, Jai Vande Matram and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in these blasts.