The Nanded blasts of 2006 and 2008 have been contentious due to their implications on communal dynamics, investigation processes, and judicial outcomes. The juxtaposition of the fact-finding report by a group of Citizens consisting of Justice BG Kolse Patil (former judge) and Teesta Setalvad, journalist and human rights defender back in February 2007and the recent judgment, which termed the explosions as “accidents,” raises questions about evidence interpretation, investigative integrity, and judicial reasoning. This report deconstructs the case using the available documents: the detailed fact-finding report and the Nanded court judgment pronounced on January 4, 2025

Members of the Concerned Citizens Inquiry: Justice (Retd) BG Kolse Patil, Pune (Chairperson) Teesta Setalvad, Mumbai (Convener) and Arvind Deshmukh, Nagpur (Member) Local Support: Vijay Gabhane, Altaf Ahmed, Riyaz Siddiqui, Pradeep Nagarpurkar, Suryakant Wani, Feroz Khan, PD Joshi Patodekar, PG Dasturkar, Chandrakant Gavane. Technical Experts: Medico-Legal and Forensic Experts, Pune (requested anonymity).

Interviews Conducted by CCI Team:  SP Fatehsingh Patil of the district, in the presence of DYSP (Home) Mohsin Khan, PI Ramesh Bhurewar, Assistant SP Sabde. On the spot interviews at the site with neighbours, many of whom chose confidentiality.

Interviews with the owner of the site, Shankarrao Shivram Mangalikar, and his son. Interview with the Civil Surgeon, Dr DL Gaikwad. Interview with the Fire Brigade Officer, Shri V. Jogdand.

Visit to the Itwara Police Station, Rangargalli, Nanded. Meeting with IG Dr Suryaprakash Gupta along with SP Fatehsingh Patil, DYSP Abdul Razzak and DYSP (Rural) Sunita Salunke.

Context and background

The blasts occurred on April 6, 2006, in the house of Laxman Rajkondwar, an RSS-affiliated individual, situated in Nanded, Maharashtra. The explosion resulted in the immediate death of two individuals, identified as Himanshu Panse and Naresh Rajkondwar, and left four others severely injured. Initial police reports attributed the incident to an accidental ignition of firecrackers, allegedly stored in the premises for business purposes. However, further investigations by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and subsequently by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pointed towards a deliberate attempt to manufacture explosives, purportedly with the intent to carry out attacks on religious sites belonging to the Muslim community. Evidence recovered from the site included improvised explosive devices (IEDs), live cartridges, and documents associated with Hindu-extremist organizations like the RSS and Bajrang Dal. The focus of the case, however, gradually shifted due to procedural delays, inconsistencies in the investigative process, and varying judicial interpretations, raising questions about the impartiality and rigor of the investigative and judicial proceedings.

Observations from the citizen’s fact-finding report

Allegations of bias: The initial First Information Report (FIR) filed by the local police labelled the incident as an accidental firecracker explosion (referenced on page 4 of the fact-finding report), ignoring significant evidence at the scene. This characterisation reveals a potential overlooking of primary evidence, as it failed to account for preliminary findings that pointed to bomb-making activities, including the discovery of pipe bombs and splinters embedded in the victims’ bodies (detailed on page 6). The police’s approach raised concerns about a preconceived narrative aimed at protecting certain groups with a powerful presence in society while prematurely ruling out the possibility of deliberate acts of terror.

• Evidence found:
  • Bomb materials: The discovery of pipe bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and 10 live cartridges (as highlighted on pages 4-6 of the fact-finding report) clearly indicated deliberate preparation of explosives. These materials, found in various stages of assembly, underscored the existence of an operational bomb-making site, where explosives were being prepared with apparent intent for large-scale communal violence.
  • Organisational links: Documents recovered from the site included maps, blueprints, and literature associated with extremist Hindu organizations, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal (as detailed on pages 5-7 of the fact-finding report). These documents pointed to a coordinated effort to create communal discord, highlighting a systematic approach toward inciting violence and disrupting social harmony.
  • Training records: Several of the accused were revealed to have undergone structured training in bomb-making, arms handling, and guerrilla tactics (as detailed on pages 6-8 of the fact-finding report). Training sessions reportedly occurred at institutions like the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur, which has been linked to extremist activities in the past. These sessions included live demonstrations on manufacturing explosive devices and handling IEDs, underscoring the organized and premeditated nature of the activities.
  • Camouflaging tactics: The accused employed deliberate tactics to mislead investigators and the public, (as highlighted on pages 7-8 of the fact-finding report). Recovered items included artificial beards, moustaches, and other disguises, which were intended to impersonate Muslim individuals. These materials, coupled with plans and written strategies, revealed a concerted effort to frame Muslim groups for the planned attacks. The recovered evidence also suggested attempts to simulate typical markers of Muslim attire and behaviour, furthering the narrative of extremist involvement from the Muslim community. This orchestrated plan underscored the accused’s intent to sow communal discord while shielding their own affiliations. 

• Intent and targeting:
  • Evidence pointed to a clear intent to target Muslim places of worship, particularly mosques, as part of a broader strategy to foment communal violence. This assertion is supported by detailed maps and reconnaissance reports found during the investigation, as noted on pages 9-11 of the fact-finding report. These materials revealed meticulous planning, including sketches of mosque layouts and identified weak spots for maximizing explosive impact, indicating an intent to cause severe disruption and communal tension.
• Criticism of investigative agencies:
  • ATS and CBI conduct: Both the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were criticised for failing to rigorously follow up on leads. Despite early indications of a well-coordinated extremist network, the investigation seemed to deliberately avoid exploring deeper institutional links and sources of funding.
  • Dilution of charges: Public outrage followed the decision to dilute charges against several principal accused individuals, casting doubt on the impartiality of the investigative process.
  • Institutional gaps: The investigating agencies failed to examine key elements such as the role of training centres, ideological indoctrination, and the logistical support behind the conspiracy. The report flagged these omissions as deliberate efforts to downplay the organized nature of the activities.
• Public reactions: The fact-finding report noted widespread criticism from secular organisations and civil society groups, who accused the agencies of systemic bias and shielding perpetrators affiliated with Hindu extremist organisations. This eroded public trust and highlighted the need for accountability and transparency in handling such sensitive cases.

These findings emphasise the critical importance of impartial investigations, robust evidence-gathering processes, and institutional accountability to ensure justice in cases involving communal violence and terrorism.

The report may read here:

4. Key findings from the judgment

• Prosecution’s case:
  • The accused were charged under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substances), and 120B (criminal conspiracy); UAPA Sections 18 and 23 (punishments for conspiracy and aiding unlawful activities); and Explosive Substances Act Sections 4(b) and 5 (making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances).
  • The prosecution argued that the accused conspired to manufacture bombs with the intent to commit acts of terrorism and disrupt communal harmony. Evidence of bomb-making materials, extremist literature, and records of targeted reconnaissance were presented to substantiate the charges.

• Court’s observations:
  • The court concluded that the prosecution failed to provide a direct and reliable nexus between the accused and the intent to commit terrorist acts. While materials such as explosives and extremist documents were recovered, the evidence presented was insufficient to demonstrate their connection to specific individuals or a larger conspiracy. The judgment underscored that possession alone, without corroborative intent or action, could not lead to conviction.
  • Forensic evidence deficiencies: Forensic reports failed to conclusively link the recovered materials to the alleged plans for mosque bombings. Splinters and explosive residues recovered at the site could not be attributed to the accused without doubt. Furthermore, mishandling of evidence by investigators was documented, further reducing its reliability.

There is no forensic report about the said articles and there is nothing on record to connect the above articles recovered by this witness with the alleged offences. Para 42 of the judgment

• Witness testimonies and inconsistencies: Key testimonies from investigating officers, forensic experts, and local witnesses were inconsistent. Some witnesses contradicted earlier statements regarding the discovery and handling of explosive devices. The absence of independent corroboration weakened the prosecution’s narrative.

In regard to the rival contentions noted above, it shall be profitable to mention observations of Hon’ble Apex Court in Inder Singh Vs. State [1978 (4) SCC 161] which read as underground –‘if a case has some flaws, the same has to be considered too inevitable because human beings are prone to err, proof beyond reasonable doubt is a guideline, not a fetish and guilty man cannot get away with it because truth suffers some infirmity when projected through human processes, contradictions and omissions are bound to occur in any case for trial but those cannot disturb or shake or challenge the basic fabric or the core of the case. From the above established position of law, minor aberrations and contradictions cannot harm otherwise believable prosecution case so long as the same does not occasion failure of justice by striking at the root of the case’. Para 67 of the judgment

• Procedural lapses: The court noted significant investigative flaws that compromised the case. Unprotected crime scenes allowed for potential contamination of evidence, raising doubts about the reliability of materials presented during the trial. The chain of custody for key evidence, such as recovered explosive devices and documents, was improperly maintained, with gaps in documentation and unexplained delays. Furthermore, critical forensic samples were either not preserved adequately or lacked proper analysis, diminishing their evidentiary value. Delays in recording witness statements further weakened the prosecution’s case, as memories faded and inconsistencies arose. These procedural deficiencies were highlighted as major contributors to the inability to establish a strong and credible case against the accused.

Rejection of witness intervention:

The application filed by Yeshwant Shinde, a former RSS pracharak, to testify as a witness was dismissed by the court. Shinde’s claims, which included receiving arms training and knowledge of extremist activities linked to the present accused, were deemed inadmissible on procedural grounds. The court ruled that his testimony lacked direct relevance to the charges under scrutiny, thereby excluding potentially crucial evidence from consideration.

To make the record clear, it is mentioned that the matter was stayed by the Hon’ble High Court vide order in Cri. Revn. Appln. No. 57/2012. However the said revision application came to be disposed off and the stay was vacated. Thereafter, on 29.08.2022 one person namely Yahswant Shinde filed an application (Exh.431) to array him as witness in the matter. The said application came to be dismissed on 17.01.2023 Paragraph 3 of the judgment

The judgment may be read here.

5. Comparative analysis

The Citizen’s fact-finding report) highlighted the presence of critical evidence such as pipe bombs, cartridges, and extremist literature. However, the judgment noted significant gaps in linking these materials conclusively to the accused. For example, forensic reports on explosive residues and splinters failed to connect them directly to the alleged plans for communal violence

This report also emphasised the discovery of documents suggesting organisational affiliations and planned targeting of religious sites. In contrast, the court dismissed these as insufficient, citing the lack of evidence to prove intent or actionable steps taken by the accused.

The judgment adhered to strict procedural and legal standards for evaluating evidence, emphasising the need for conclusive forensic proof and direct witness testimonies. This contrasts with the fact-finding report’s broader focus on circumstantial and contextual evidence. The court dismissed materials such as maps and organizational links as speculative in the absence of demonstrable intent or action by the accused.

The initial investigative findings by ATS pointed toward a deliberate attempt at bomb-making with religious targets. However, the subsequent dilution of charges by the CBI and reliance on procedural gaps in court altered the narrative, reducing the focus on organisational links and intent highlighted in the Citizen’s fact-finding report.

This comparative analysis underscores the differing priorities of the fact-finding report and the judicial process. While the report sought to establish a broader socio-political context and intent, the court adhered to stricter evidentiary and procedural standards, resulting in the acquittal of the accused.

(The legal research team of the organisation consists of lawyers and interns; this primer has been worked on by Shailendar Karthikeyan)

Related:

ARCHIVES: Hindutva Terror – The terror trail from Nanded to Malegaon and beyond

Nanded accused indict themselves

2007 – Nanded, Maharashtra: Preliminary Report Bomb Explosions

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Occurring under similarly suspicious circumstances less than a year after the first incident, another blast in Nanded is similarly mishandled by the police and raises similar demands for a thorough investigation

Around midnight on February 9-10, 2007, Nanded town was rocked by yet another acci dental explosion, the second in less than a year. This time it was a bakery shop: Amol Biscuits. Two persons were killed in the incident. One of them, Pandurang Bhagwan Amilkanthwar, a former Shiv Sena shakha pramukh (branch leader) was apparently also linked to the Bajrang Dal. His cousin, Dnyaneshwar Manikwar, also present on the spot, sustained over 70 per cent burn injuries. Initially admitted to a Nanded hospital, Manikwar was inexplicably moved to the JJ Hospital in distant Mumbai. He succumbed to the burn injuries a week after the incident.

The explosion bore a marked resemblance to the earlier blast on April 6, 2006 (see main story on Nanded blasts). There is a disquieting similarity between the two incidents. Both were accidental. Those present on the spot in both incidents were Hindu extremists. And in both cases the local police attempted a cover-up.

The April 2006 incident was sought to be explained away as an accidental explosion at a site where fireworks were stored. A similar cover-up was attempted in the 2007 incident, with the local police initially registering a case of accidental death and injury caused by a fire due to an electrical short circuit. But a day later the critically injured Dnyaneshwar Manikwar told senior police officials that in fact his deceased cousin and he were trapped in a fire they had intentionally started using five litres of petrol, hoping to make false insurance claims.

A three-member Concerned Citizen’s Inquiry (CCI) team headed by a retired judge, Justice Kolse Patil, and with this correspondent as convener, visited Nanded for an on-the-spot inquiry on February 17 and 18, 2007. During the visit the team met the superintendent of police, Nanded district, Fatehsingh Patil. In the presence of other senior police officers, Patil stated clearly that though investigations were still on and the police was open to receiving information from all quarters he was prima facie confident that this incident was nothing like the earlier incident of April 2006 and was simply a fire created to claim insurance money. In a separate interview the inspector general of police (IGP), Nanded range, Dr Suryaprakash Gupta, said the same thing. According to the police, the fire story made more sense because a bomb blast would have blown the deceased Pandurang to bits. It would not just leave his body badly charred.

The team’s investigation however indicated that the facts on the ground simply did not cohere with the theory the police seemed convinced about. Following its own field visit and interviews with a cross-section of top district officials and local citizens, the CCI commissioned a team of experts to visit the site and give their findings on what could have caused such an explosion. The major findings of the CCI team, incorporating the findings of the expert group, are as follows:

• According to the police panchnama, the injured person gave two statements to the police while in the Nanded hospital. But the police panchnama is silent on whether this severely injured person, who had a tracheotomy tube through his throat, was in any position to speak. Nor does the panchnama mention whether the severely injured person was conscious and had any time or place orientation at the time.
• The explosion hurled the large metal shutter in the shop front across the road to a distance about 40 feet away. Window frames were burnt and glasses cracked. Walls had cracked and the site was in complete disarray. Glass panes of the ventilators located not just in the godown but in neighbouring rooms of the house owned by Shankarrao Shivram Mangalikar, including the kitchen, sitting room and bedroom, had shattered. There were marks of some substances on the kitchen floor.
• A scooter parked on the road outside the godown at a six-seven foot distance from it was completely charred.
• Spot inspections by the CCI team and photographic evidence showed that the gas cylinder in the kitchen adjacent to the bakery shop remained completely unscathed. This would be inexplicable in case of a fire fuelled by five litres of petrol in the adjacent room.
• The godown had two wooden doors, one iron shutter, one window and two ventilators. One door flew and landed in the hall because of the explosion. The ventilators did not have any glass. One window was broken and burnt and had fallen out. Food items, plastic and organic materials used for packing were still lying unburnt in the godown when the team visited the spot 10 days after the incident. If there was a fire, as the police claimed there was, all these things would have been completely burnt and the windows and ceilings of the rooms would have been blackened and charred. The plaster on the walls and ceilings displayed cracks indicative of shock and heat effect. The indicators are that there was a disproportionate development of shock waves but correspondingly no burns. This suggests a blast, not a fire.
• An explosion caused by some unstable and liquid organic substances cannot be ruled out. According to the expert group, such substances are highly unstable, can generate a very high temperature, start a fierce chemical reaction resulting in an ignition, then flames and thereafter an explosion. The flames are at such high temperatures that a person can be burnt alive in five-10 seconds. This is the most plausible cause of the explosion in the godown.
• There was no explanation from the authorities for the existence of nails and blades strewn in some quantity around the godown. These could have been used as pellets for the potential explosive.
• The team was also told by citizens requesting anonymity that a police officer from a neighbouring police station who is closely involved in the ongoing investigation actually supervised critical evidentiary material being collected and spirited away from the spot.
• Taking into consideration all the factors mentioned above, the inference is that it was not a planned explosion but an impact explosion created due to the handling of large stocks of explosive/flammable materials stored here. The handling could have been for transportation to another place.
• The CCI’s preliminary findings were made public through press conferences organised in Mumbai and in Delhi. Over the next year four applications under the Right to Information Act were filed with the police for an update on their investigations but no reply was forthcoming. In response to a complaint in this regard filed by this correspondent in mid-June 2008, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the police. The hearing is scheduled for mid-September.

(A full report of the preliminary findings of the Concerned Citizen’s Inquiry is available at www.sabrang.com/nanded/nanded.htm.)

Archived from Communalism Combat, July-August 2008. Year 15, No.133, Maharashtra, Cover Story 6

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May 31 2008: The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) from the police department defuses a bomb found in a plastic carrier bag at an auditorium in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The bag contained batteries, gelatine sticks, detonators and ammonium nitrate. Fortunately again, no damage was done.

June 4, 2008: A bomb explodes in the Gadkari Rangayatan theatre in Thane where a Marathi play, Amhi Pachpute, was due to be staged. Seven persons are injured.

Thane, June 2008

Who was targeting cinema halls and auditoriums on the outskirts of Mumbai with such alarming frequency and why? The ATS team of the Maharashtra police suspected that Hindu extremist organisations were behind the blasts, as some of these groups had been protesting against the film and the play for weeks. Their grouse was that Hindu gods and goddesses were being shown in a poor light and permission to stage such plays or films must not be granted.

Working on their assumption, 16 teams of the ATS checked the records of all vehicles that entered the premises of the Gadkari Rangayatan theatre on June 4. After cross-checking the list with the RTO the police pinpointed a motorcycle that was registered in the name of a Hindu trust, the Guru Kripa Pratisthan. The police then traced the organisation’s office to Panvel where it is located in the premises of another Hindu organisation called the Sanatan Sanstha (SS). Set up in 1999, the SS, a revivalist group run by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, has an ashram in Sukhapur village near Panvel.

By June 23, the ATS had arrested six Hindu extremists belonging to the Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS). It later learnt that the two organisations were closely associated. The first two to be nabbed – Hanumant Gadkari (50) and Mangesh Dinkar Nikam (34) – belonged both to the SS and the HJS. Two more sevaks (activists) of the Sanatan Sanstha, Santosh Angre (26) and Vikram Bhave (26), allegedly part of the network that reportedly planted the bombs at the Bhave auditorium in Vashi and Thane’s Gadkari Rangayatan, were the next to be arrested by the ATS. Unemployed, Angre and Bhave were full-time residents of the Sanatan Sanstha ashram.

On June 23, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also arrested Dr Hemant Chalke, a member of Sanatan Sanstha, for conducting a recce of Vashi’s Bhave theatre where a bomb was found on May 31.

The ATS also seized 19 gelatine sticks, 20 detonators, two timers and three circuits, which were dumped in the Balganga river in Pen. The police also seized six batteries, one timer and half a dozen detonators from the Satara residence of another accused, Mangesh Nikam.

"We are proud of what we did to deter those who were trying to show our gods and goddesses in poor light," the accused reportedly told the investigators. "We have extracted the names of the places from where the material used in the bombs was bought by the accused. We know where the circuit material, the ammonium nitrate and the timer were bought. We also know the place from where the soldering work was done for the bomb. In fact, the accused had availed of a 10 per cent discount on the timer," said the ATS chief, Hemant Karkare.

The ATS is also examining the records of those arrested for the Jalna, Purna and Parbhani mosque blasts to check if there was any connection between the accused in the cases and whether the SS and the HJS have any organisational links.

According to information gathered and made public by the ATS, in early January this year activists of the Sanatan Sanstha, which is known for the ashrams it operates across the state, decided that to stop the ‘wrongful’ portrayal of Hindu gods and goddesses they needed to send out a ‘loud’ message. They tried to put together a crude bomb made of gunpowder and attempted to set it off, using a fuse wire, at a cemetery in Raigad district. The attempt failed. Their choice of location for the trial, a cemetery, is significant.

This was before they met Nikam, who turned out to be the perfect complement to Gadkari. Nikam’s past experience and knowledge in the use of high intensity explosives like gelatine was complemented by Gadkari’s knowledge of electric circuits (he was an electrician). Following some basic research the group assembled its first improvised explosive device (IED) containing two gelatine sticks, 300 gm of ammonium nitrate, detonators and a battery-powered electric circuit as a trigger mechanism. This was the device they exploded at the Cineraj cinema in Panvel on February 20, without much success.

Three months later, according to the ATS, the group had upgraded its skills enough to assemble a second, more sophisticated IED. Though similar in composition to the earlier one, it was operated by a far more refined trigger mechanism – a digital timer controlled by a remote control device. The group planted this IED at Vashi’s Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha where the play, Amhi Pachpute, was being staged on May 31. But it was found and defused before any damage was done. Gadkari and Nikam are held responsible for the three blasts between February and June. Nikam was allegedly also involved in a February 2006 case in which a bomb was planted outside the home of a Catholic family in Ratnagiri.

The Sanatan Sanstha was quick to deny any organisational responsibility or link to the blasts. At a press conference held soon after the arrests both the SS and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, the latter claiming to be an ‘umbrella organisation of many bodies’, said: "We cannot deny their association with us but we had nothing to do with the blast. Sanatan Sanstha will never support such violent acts," said Abhay Vartak, the organisation’s spokesperson. "Our protests have always been peaceful, through dialogue," said Dr Uday Dhuri, coordinator of HJS’ Mumbai chapter.

The SS also condemned the blast through an editorial in its SS newspaper, Sanatan Prabhat, but with a rider: "Though we condemn the act, the mind-set and the anger of these (arrested) people should be understood and the mocking of Hindu gods should be stopped."
The HJS, whose declared aim is "uniting Hindus globally", has no headquarters or formal membership. But it has a strong online presence. It owes its genesis to an October 2002 meeting where Hindu deities were "blasphemously criticised" and the lone man who protested was attacked. "With a view to protest against this attack, all Hindu organisations came together and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti was established on October 13, 2002 [at the] initiative of seekers of Sanatan Sanstha," says the outfit’s website. Currently, the group’s global agenda is to protest against the "anti-Hindu" Hollywood movie, The Love Guru, and "anti-Hindu textbooks" for schoolchildren in Goa, and to save the Ram Sethu.

Media investigations and reports of a sinister network of hard line Hindu outfits across Maharashtra and Goa pose a particular challenge to investigation and intelligence agencies. According to a report in The Indian Express (June 22):
"The five men were members of the Sanatan Sanstha (SS) and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), hitherto little-known groups operating in the hinterland of Maharashtra and Goa. Two of them are also members of another newly launched outfit called the Dharmashakti Sena, pictures of whose inaugural rally in April show young men dressed in military fatigues.

"These groups, which work like wheels within wheels, have been quietly mobilising Hindus on a cocktail of Ramrajya (Rama’s rule), Hindu dharma and ‘dharmakranti’ (religious revolution) in and around Mumbai for a few years now.
"While the SS and the HJS are both registered in Goa as charitable organisations, the Dharmashakti Sena was set up in 16 Maharashtra towns and cities on Gudi Padwa day this April. Its stated aim: establishing ‘Ramrajya’ and to make Hindus ‘capable of action’.
"Publications linked to the three groups say the Dharmashakti Sena offers free training in self-defence and the training involves inculcating ‘mental courage’. It also reminds readers of the ‘armed battle of revolutionaries and saints’, RSS guru Golwalkar’s work on ‘protecting Hindus’ and his teaching that ‘weapons should be countered with weapons’.

"‘Conversions of Hindus’, ‘genocide’, the Congress government’s alleged poor track record against Islamic terrorism, ‘persecution at the hands of anti-Hindus’, are recurrent themes alongside a call for Hindus and Hindu organisations to unite. Unlike leaders of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, the men and women behind these new outfits are low-profile activists who have been quietly chipping away at the mind-set of Hindus in Maharashtra and Goa. The founder of the SS, the oldest of the three groups, is Dr Jayant Athavale, a clinical hypnotherapist who practised for two decades and also set up the Indian Society of Clinical Hypnosis and Research. A former resident of Goa, Dr Athavale is now a resident of New Bombay. His students are quick to exonerate his role in present activities, however.

"HJS and SS leaders are also cagey talking about Dharmashakti Sena chief Vinay Panvalkar, thought to live in the Dadar area of Central Mumbai and who has travelled extensively across Maharashtra after the outfit was launched. At a ‘dharmajagruti sabha’ (religious awakening conference) in Pune in mid-May 2008, Panvalkar is quoted as saying: "Hindus are cornered from all sides but there is no retaliation from them." At a later meeting in Thane he said, "The war in future will be a dharmayudh (religious war) and Dharmashakti Sena will be the guiding force."

The Indian Express investigation shows that the linkages to these groups from Maharashtra and Goa go all the way to Australia and the United States with centres in New Jersey, Brisbane, Melbourne and Dubai.
The top leaders of these organisations are: Dr Jayant Balaji Athavale, founder of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Virendra Marathe, managing trustee of Sanatan Sanstha, Vinay Panvalkar, chief of Dharmashakti Sena, Dr Durgesh Samant, national spokesman of HJS, Abhay Vartak, Mumbai spokesman of Sanatan Sanstha, and Shivaji Vatkar, Mumbai convenor of HJS.

Archived from Communalism Combat, July-August 2008. Year 15, No.133, Maharashtra, Cover Story 7

The post Sequel of terror appeared first on SabrangIndia.

July 26, 2008: Seventeen low intensity bombs explode in several areas of Ahmedabad, leaving 58 people dead and over 100 others injured.

July 25, 2008: A string of nine synchronised bomb blasts during the busy lunch hour in Bangalore leave two dead and injure 12 others.

May 13, 2008: Eight bomb blasts in the span of 12 minutes rock Jaipur, leaving 67 dead and over 277 others injured.

January 1, 2008: A pre-dawn terrorist attack on a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, kills eight, including seven security men, and injures five others.

October 11, 2007: A bomb blast during the month of Ramadan at the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti dargah in Ajmer kills two and injures 17.

August 25, 2007: Twin bomb blasts, at an open-air auditorium and a popular eatery in Hyderabad, leave 42 dead and injure 50 others.

May 18, 2007: A bomb blast at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad kills 11 people and injures 50 others. Five people are also killed in subsequent police firing.

February 18, 2007: Two fire bombs explode on the Samjhauta Express bound for Pakistan, killing 68 passengers, most of them Pakistanis, and injuring 50 others.

September 8, 2006: Twin bomb blasts go off after Friday prayers near a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing 40 people and injuring 125 others.

July 11, 2006: Seven bomb explosions rip through crowded commuter trains and stations in Mumbai, killing 200 people and leaving about 700 others injured.

July 11, 2006: Five hand grenade attacks in Srinagar kill eight people, including tourists and pilgrims, and injure 43 others.

June 1, 2006: Three militants are killed in an exchange of fire with security personnel during an attempted attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.

May 25, 2006: A powerful bomb explosion kills four tourists in Batpora, Srinagar.

May 21, 2006: Seven people, including two terrorists, are killed as militants attack a Congress party rally in Srinagar.

May 1, 2006: Thirty-five Hindu villagers are killed in two separate terrorist attacks in the districts of Doda and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.

April 14, 2006: Two explosions rip through the Jama Masjid in Delhi, injuring 14 people.

March 7, 2006: Twin bombings at the Sankat Mochan temple and at the Cantonment railway station in Varanasi kill 23 people and injure over 100 others.

December 28, 2005: One person is killed and five others are injured when a heavily armed assailant opens fire and lobs grenades on the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bangalore.

October 29, 2005: Three bombs explode in busy New Delhi markets a day before Diwali, killing 65 people and injuring 210 others.

October 18, 2005: Jammu and Kashmir minister of state for education, Ghulam Nabi Lone, is shot dead by a militant while CPI(M) state secretary, MY Tarigami, escapes unhurt during a similar bid in Srinagar. Two security guards and a civilian are also killed in the incidents.

July 29, 2005: Twelve people are killed and 52 others injured in a bomb explosion on the Shramjivi Express in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh.

July 5, 2005: Six militants are killed during an attempt to storm the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya. Two civilians are also killed and three security men are injured in the attack.

May 9, 2005: Three people are killed as terrorists open fire on people coming out of a mosque at Chakka village in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir.

August 27, 2004: Bomb blasts at local mosques in the towns of Purna and Jalna in Central Maharashtra injure 18 persons.

August 15, 2004: Three bomb explosions in the Dhemaji district of Assam kill 16 people, mainly schoolchildren, and injure 40 others.

November 21, 2003: A bomb blast at the Mohammadiya Masjid in Parbhani in Central Maharashtra kills one person and injures 40 others.

August 25, 2003: Two powerful car bomb explosions at Jhaveri Bazaar and at the Gateway of India in South Mumbai kill 60 persons and injure about 160 others.

July 28, 2003: A bomb explosion on a BEST bus at Ghatkopar in north-eastern Mumbai kills four people and injures 32 others.

March 13, 2003: A bomb blast shatters the bogie of a local train at the Mulund railway station in Mumbai, killing 11 people and injuring more than 65 others.

December 2, 2002: Two persons are killed and 31 others injured in a bomb explosion in a bus outside the Ghatkopar railway station in Mumbai.

September 24, 2002: Armed terrorists attack the Akhshardham temple in Gandhinagar, killing 39 people and injuring 74 others.

May 21, 2002: Abdul Gani Lone, senior leader of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference, is shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Srinagar.

May 14, 2002: At least 30 people, including women and children, are killed and over 60 injured in a militant suicide attack on an army camp in the Kaluchak cantonment area in Jammu.

March 30, 2002: Seven people, including three security forces men, are killed in a militant attack on the Raghunath temple in Jammu.

January 22, 2002: Militants attack the American Centre in Kolkata, killing four police officers and injuring 21.

December 13, 2001: Armed terrorists attack the Indian Parliament in New Delhi, killing 12 people, including six policemen, and injuring 26 others. All five terrorists are also killed.

October 1, 2001: A car bomb explodes near the Jammu and Kashmir state assembly in Srinagar, killing 38 people and injuring 40 others. The bombing was followed by an armed assault on the assembly premises by three armed terrorists.

June 8, 2001: Unidentified terrorists lob a grenade into the premises of the Charar-e-Sharif mosque near Srinagar. Four persons are killed and 60 others are injured in the incident.

December 22, 2000: Militants attack the Red Fort in Delhi, killing two army men and one civilian.

March 20, 2000: Militants massacre 35 Sikhs in the village of Chattisinghpora in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

December 24-31, 1999: An Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi is hijacked and flown to Afghanistan where 189 passengers and crew are held hostage for eight days. They are ultimately freed in return for the release of three militants held in Indian prisons. One hostage is killed.

February 14, 1998: Forty-six persons are killed and more than 200 injured as 13 bomb blasts rip through Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Archived from Communalism Combat, July-August 2008. Year 15, No.133, Maharashtra, Cover Story 8
 

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