The family members of Dilip Patidar, a witness in the Malegaon blast case who went missing after being questioned by the anti-terrorist squad of Maharashtra Police, have sought a probe into his disappearance by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The 29-year-old electrician had been picked up by Maharashtra ATS from Indore’s Shanti Vihar Colony on November 10, 2008. The ATS wanted to question him about Ramji Kalsangra, an accused in the blast case, in whose house he was staying as tenant. Dilip never returned from Mumbai. His family alleged that he was eliminated while the ATS insisted that he had returned to Indore. The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court had asked the CBI to probe Dilip’s disappearance after his elder brother Ramswaroop filed a habeas corpus petition. After indicating that Dilip could be dead, the CBI wanted to prosecute two ATS officials. In November last year, however, it filed a closure report in the high court, saying that the Maharashtra government was not giving it sanction to prosecute the officials. When the matter came up for hearing before the special court in Indore on Wednesday, advocate Mohan Patidar filed an application seeking a probe by the NIA. The application said the CBI investigation was not proper and that the NIA should probe the case because it was investigating the Malegaon blast. The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 20.
