Malegaon blast: ATS interrogates people in MP

Jabalpur, Oct 31 (UNI) A team of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has reportedly detained and interrogated a few people related to search of Abhinav Bharat Party's (ABP) Madhya Pradesh vice-president Mayaram Jeswani.

Official sources said a team of the Maharashtra ATS was in town for the past two days in search of Jeswani in the wake of arrest of Malegaon blast-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh.

The team had raided the house of Jeswani on Wednesday night.

However, he had already gone underground before the arrival of the ATS team.

ABP leader Raju Rai was detained and grilled on Wednesday and again yesterday.

Earlier, the ATS team had arrived here along with Uttar Pradesh-based ABP office bearer Sudhakar Chaturvedi, mainly with the objective to arrest Jeswani, and began raids and interrogation.

Senior police officials denied knowledge about action being taken by the ATS.

Meanwhile, a Maharashtra ATS team picked up a Lieutenant-Colonel from Madhya Pradesh's Pachmarhi hill station today for questioning in connection with the Malegaon blast.

Sources said the officer, against whom inputs of possible linkages with some suspects have come to light, has been shifted to Mumbai.

UNI RG-PS SP BD1445