Sanatan Sanstha's founder Jayant Athavale might be questioned by ATS

In a big development in Sanatan terror plot, Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has told Republic TV that Sanatan Sanstha founder Jayant Athavale will be called for questioning if required. While speaking to Republic TV, the ATS also said that Sanatan Sanstha is "a nationwide terror organisation and members of these groups are Active in many states " 

"All the groups of this terror organisation work secretly.One group doesn't know about the activity of other groups. In last ten years, this right-wing fringe terror group have learnt from their mistakes and now, they are more matured in bomb making. The accused have travelled to many states including Goa," added the ATS.

Earlier on Sunday, Maharashtra police arrested Shiv Sena Corporator Shrikant Pangarkar in connection with the seizure of crude bombs and weapons from different parts of the state. Maharashtra police sources told Republic TV that Pangarkar, who had links with Sanatan, was planning to carry out an attack during the Maratha agitation.

READ| Maharashtra ATS Arrests Former Shiv Sena Corporator In Connection With The Seizure Of Crude Bombs

Prior to this, on August 17, a protest march was held in support of Sanatan sadhak Vaibhav Raut. During the march, protesters had alleged that ATS was trying to implicate Vaibhav Raut in a false terror case. To avoid any untoward incident, 50  senior police officers and more than 750 police personnel were deployed during the protest.

Right-wing Hindu organization members Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kelaskar and Sudhanva Godhalekar were arrested by Maharashtra ATS for their plan to of setting off bombs near Maratha morchas to send a strong message to the government. The arrested accused in their statement had confessed about the same.

According to sources, All of them had planned to trigger a blast around 100 to 150 metre away from the next Maratha Morcha. Crude bombs which were found in Vaibhav Raut’s residence and shops were assembled for the purpose of triggering a blast at the Maratha Morcha rally.

READ| ATS Arrests Sanatan Sanstha Worker After Recovering 8 Crude Bombs From His Residence, Sanstha to Provide Legal Aid

ATS sources had also told Republic TV that during interrogation, the accused had revealed information on a huge conspiracy related to arms and ammunition.

The ATS sources revealed that during the interrogation, the accused said that the three of them met with an arms supplier of Kanpur as they were afraid of purchasing arms from any other place as they can come into the sight of agencies. They had also revealed that they took training for almost 3 days for handling the arms, said the sources.

As per sources, for training in making bombs, the accused met a militant in Assam and by April 2017 after completing their training in making bombs they returned back to Maharashtra. After their return, Vaibhav Raut initiated the work of making bombs and weapons in Nalasopara, while Sudhanva started in Pune.

A team of ATS has now gone to Assam and Uttar Pradesh to check the veracity of the claims.