Guj Police give clean chit to Pragya in Modasa bomb blast case

Mumbai, Oct 31 (UNI) The Gujarat Police tonight gave a clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, arrested by the officials of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the Modasa bomb blast on September 29 that had claimed one life and left eight others injured.

Giving a clean chit to the Sadhvi, Sabarkanta Deputy Superintendent of Police K K Mysorewalla, who is a member of the Gujarat Police team, said, ''We interrogated Sadhvi Prgaya Singh Thakur. But, since we did not get any substantiating evidence to prove her involvement in the Modasa bomb blast, we don't want her custody for further interrogation in that case.'' Earlier in the day, a four-member team of Gujarat Police arrived in the city for investigation into the Modasa bomb blast. The team went to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) office at Kalachowki in south central Mumbai this afternoon, where they interrogated five people, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The Sadhvi also underwent scientific tests like brain mapping and narco analysis at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina in north west Mumbai in connection with Malegaon and Modasa bomb blasts case.

The ATS officials had initially arrested three people along with the Sadhvi for their alleged involvement in the Malegaon and Modasa blasts, which took place on the same day.

The bomb was placed in a parked motorcycle in a congested and crowded area of the town, which went off at around 2130 hrs on September 29. The bomb was fitted with a timer device. The number plate on the motorbike was a fake one. Even its chassis number was tampered with.

Police have already arrested eight activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for the Modasa blast.

UNI ST SSS GT RAI2346