Police told to locate Malegaon blast witness

It directed SSP D Srinivas Rao to trace Patidar and submit a detailed report about his whereabouts by May 6,the day of next hearing.

Patidar is mysteriously missing ever since a team of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Mumbai picked him up from his house near Bengali Chouraha here in November 2008.

He was living on rent in the house of Ramji Kalsangra,an absconding accused in the September 2008 Malegaon blast.

In his petition,Ramswaroop had alleged that either Patidar is in illegal custody of Mumbai ATS or he has lost his life due to torture in its custody.

The ATS has,however,denied the charge and told the court that Patidar had come to Mumbai on his own to record his statement in connection with the Malegaon case.

The ATS had said Patidar had also expressed his desire to give his statement in a Maharashtra court.

It had said Patidar,who was asked to bring documents to prove his identity,had left the ATS office in Mumbai on November 18,2008,but did not return.