Nine police probe teams formed to crack Ashram attack case

Anand, July 18 (UNI) Nine probe teams have been constituted to inquire into yesterday's attack on the Sachidanand Swami ashram in Dantali village, about 25 kms from here, Inspector General of Police (Ahmedabad range) A K Sharma said today.

Two of these teams have left for Panchmahals and Godhra to work on certain leads, Mr sharma told reporters here.

Four persons were injured yesterday morning when a group of assailants barged into the ashram and attacked the Swami's followers. They fled after the seer opened fire at them. One of the assailants was injured too.

The IGP said no arrests have been made as yet. Five people from nearby Tihol village, who had gone to Dholka, were rounded up but were freed after ashram residents said they were not among the assailants, he added.

''We are investigating the threatening letters sent to the Swami over a period of time also,'' he said.

He, however, refused to divulge their contents.

Tight surveillance has been mounted at the ashram and within a 40-km radius area and red alert has been sounded across Gujarat to nab the assailants.

He also denied having any clue that directly linked the Swadhyay Parivar with the attack. He refused to answer a query on whether the injured assailant had been zeroed-in or not. ''At this stage, we do not want to reveal anything as the assailants would get alerted. We want to nab them first,'' Mr sharma emphasised.

He said though robbery could not be ruled out completely, the assailants' main motive was to attack the religious guru.

Three-wheelers had been used for coming to the ashram, the 16 added.

Ashram sources had alleged that the attackers could be Swadhyaya Parivar members, as they had been issuing threats to the Swami.

The Swami had publicly criticised the Parivar in his meetings after the murder of NRI Pankaj Trivedi in Ahmedabad on June 15. He had also voiced fears that he would also be attacked.

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