Keep me out of Mumbai ATS hands: Purohit

Purohit’s lawyer Shrikant Shivade pleaded before judicial magistrate (first class) G G Itkalkar that his client be granted police custody for three days in the forgery and fake gun-licence case registered with the Pune Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS). Shivade said his client felt safe in custody of Pune ATS whereas there was a threat to him from the Mumbai ATS that was “torturing him to confess.”

Purohit, who was in custody of Pune ATS for investigations into the fake gun-licence case registered against him by Milind Date of Erandwane, was earlier on Wednesday produced in the city court.

Purohit had told the court that he wanted to communicate something, but in writing. Purohit wrote two pages and submitted it to the court. Shivade said Purohit, in his letter, said Mumbai ATS was “torturing him.”

ATS assistant police inspector Satish Gurav sought Purohit’s police custody for seven days, saying he had not co-operated with investigators during the two-day custody. “We want to know about his accomplices in the licence racket,” he said. Shivade too joined Gurav and pleaded that Purohit be granted police custody.

“ATS has invoked Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Purohit and other Malegaon blast suspects. They would be produced in the MCOCA court in Mumbai on November 29. The ATS has fabricated the fake gun licence case for custody of Purohit. They have not investigated the case. ATS just wanted time to fulfill conditions required for invoking MCOCA against Purohit,” his lawyer had argued.

Shivade said his client would be taken to Nashik jail on Saturday and produced in court in another fake licence case based on a complaint filed by Date’s brother Shrish Date.

Shivade sought permission from the court that Purohit be allowed to take his religious books and other material for offering prayers in jail. Purohit’s wife Aparna Purohit and other family members were present during the court proceedings.

Retired and returned from US, software pro on radar for funding terror

The latest local name to crop up during terror investigations is that of Shyam Apte.

On the ATS radar for allegedly funding the radical outfit Abhinav Bharat, the retired software professional, who worked in the US for 25 years, resides at Navsahyadri Society in Karve Nagar. But he was not available for comment due to ill health. It’s the same reason, poor physical condition, why the ATS says Apte had not been “properly” questioned so far.

ATS is understood to have started probing Apte’s links with Purohit even before Dayanand Pandey was arrested in the Malegaon blast case.

Many from Pune, including Apte, are said to be under ATS scanner for funding Abhinav Bharat. But investigations are stuck due to insufficient evidence.

His son Shivram Apte, a software professional, was reluctant to talk to the media camping outside his bungalow Swasteeshree for nearly an hour. He finally relented and said the allegations were baseless. “There is definitely some mistake. My father has not been associated with any organisation or any panel for the last 15 years,” he said.

When asked about Apte’s RSS connection, Shivram said, “Like most Maharashtrian families, my father had visited the shakha as a student and had great respect for some of the senior members of RSS.”

Shivram said his father did donate money to various social and religious organisations. “My father would generously donate to organisations doing good work but the present allegations are ridiculous. We are willing to cooperate with investigations if there are any,” he said. He said his father, a mechanical engineer, worked with IBM in the US for nearly 25 years before moving to Pune some 15 years ago. When The Indian Express visited the city RSS headquarters at Motibaug, Shyamrao Apte’s name was on the member list. A member gave Apte’s residence number.

“He was active initially but not in the last two years as he is not well,” said a senior member who knows Apte. “Apte has written some booklets on religious matters and did attend public functions hosted by the RSS before he became ill,” he said.