'Probe Swami Aseemanand's role in Malegaon blast'

MUMBAI: Maharashtra home minister R R Patil wants the CBI to examine Swami Aseemanand's confession on his involvement in the 2006 Malegaon blast. He has also directed the ATS to track down people and organizations involved in the terror strike.
Aseemanand, arrested for the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad, recently confessed that he was involved in the Malegaon terror strike.The CBI took over the Malegaon blast probe from the ATS and submitted an additional chargesheet in February 2010.
"Aseemanand's confession should be examined," Patil told reporters on Monday. He, however, made it clear that the government was making no effort to target RSS. He was speaking after meeting representatives from various organisations demanding a crackdown on terror. Scotching rumours that the groups he had met demanded a ban on RSS, Patil said: "There was no specific demand from any delegation for a ban on RSS. People who met me today were asking for a ban on all organizations linked to terror."
He said he had asked ATS to probe if an individual was behind the Malegaon incident. "If the terror act was carried out at the behest of an organisation then we will recommend the Union government ban them." Among those who met Patil and minorities affairs minister Arif Naseem Khan was a delegation from Malegaon. It demanded that those arrested in connection with the 2006 Malegaon blast case be freed.
Later, Khan said at a press conference: "The confession of Aseemanand reveals that those arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast case are innocent. If anyone has been falsely implicated or arrested by ATS, action should be initiated against the errant officials. Khan cited the example of Andhra Pardesh, where those who were innocent but had been arrested in the blast case were freed and given handsome compensations by the local government.
"Taking cue from the neighbouring state, the Maharashtra government should compensate those lodged in the jail despite having nothing to do with the Malegaon blast case," Khan said. Khan said the confession of Swami Aseemanand was proof of the radical Hindutva outfits' involvement in the Malegaon case. Just like Simi has been banned, the Democratic Front-led Maharashtra government should take action against right-wing outfits as well, Khan said.
However when asked if the Congress-NCP ruled government was dithering to take action against RSS, Patil stated that the state government was not shielding anyone. Once the ATS report on outfits involved in terror acts is ready, the state government will initiate action, Patil added.