Background checks done on Dabholkar killing suspects

THANE: A day after two suspects in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case made sensational accusations against anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Rakesh Maria, the city police on Wednesday vigorously started digging into their past.
A report is being prepared by the Thane police on Manish Ramvilas Nagori (24) alias Manya and aide Vikas Ramavtar Khandelwal (22).Nagori and Khandelwa had alleged that ATS chief Rakesh Maria offered them Rs 25 lakh to admit to the crime.
The dossier on the two will be presented to the state department, on whose directive the police were collecting information on the previous cases filed against the two in Thane, said a senior police officer. The police were also determining if the two had made similar allegations in the past.
"These are stunning allegations and even if the court does not order an inquiry on its own, the home department wants to get the basics right here by informally probing the matter," an official said.
The two were lodged in the Thane central prison for a long time before they were whisked away by the Pune police for interrogation in the Dabholkar case. "The two have faced charges in Thane for extortion cases, among other crimes," a senior police officer said.
Thane police said the two had spent their time in Thane jail peacefully. "In Thane jail, they didn't create any trouble," a senior officer said.
The Thane police have also called all officials who had to do deal with the two in the recent past.
"We have also called all officials who have had charge of these two," an officer said. "The idea is to collect as much information as possible."