Thread by @SaffronDiaries

On this day in 2007, the bomb blasts in #SamjhautaExpress killed 68 people including 44 #Pakistanis . The immediate investigations revealed irrefutable evidence about the masterminds. In this thread, We would share some #Indian newspaper clips which covered the investigations.

1. Lt Col Prasad Purohit, a serving #IndianArmy officer, was arrested for terror conspiracy in the Malegaon blast case. He was the co founder of #AbhinavBharat, a right wing Hindu organisation. He admitted that he was the mastermind.

(@TheTimesofIndia, Pune, 7 November 2008)

2. Lt Col Purohit met Pragya Thakur on 5 Oct 2008 to tell her that "Our People" had carried out the killings in Orissa, burnt down two churches and also carried out the Malegaon blast.

(@the_indian_expr , Pune, 24 Nov 2008)

Ironically, Pragya is #BJP's MP today.

3. During his narco analysis test, Lt Col Purohit told officers that Praveen Togadia was responsible for the “Samjhauta Express Blasts”. He asked me to find out from Dr Dev, how much RDX was remaining after the blast.

(Pune Mirror, 19 Nov 2008)

4. In his narco analysis test, Lt Col Purohit gave sensational information that he supplied explosives for Ajmer and Malegaon blasts at the instance of Mahant Dayanand Pandey.

(Sakal, Pune and Pudhari, Pune, both of 15 Nov 2008)

5. At a meeting of Purohit, Pandey and Pragya Thakur held in Bhopal on 12 April 2008, Dayanand Pandey had asked Purohit to supply RDX for Malegaon bomb blast. Meeting was also held at Faridabad and Pune.

(Pudhari, Pune, 16 Nov 2008)

6. Lt Col Purohit also said that Swami Asimanand of Dangs had informed him that Sunil Joshi, the man who had sold Pragya Thakur's motorcycle, was also involved in Ajmer Sharif bombing of 11 Oct 2007.

(The Indian Express, Pune, 24 Nov 2008)

7. Pragya had disclosed her connections with Shabri Dham Ashram Mahant and VHP leader of Dangs, Asimanand Swami. Pragya and Purohit had frequent telephonic conversations with him. Immediately after the Malegaon bomb blast he had a talk with Pragya.

(Sakal, Pune, 8 Nov 2008)

8. The role of #BJP MP of Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath and BJP MLA Das Agarwal is suspected in the conspiracy. (referring to Malegaon bomb blasts)

(Sakal, Pune, 13 Nov 2008)

* Yogi is presently BJP's Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

9. The Police informed the MCOCA court on 26 Nov about the recovery of Mahant Dayanand Pandey's laptop containing clipping of video and audio recordings of various meetings the Mahant held with Pragya Thakur, Col Purohit and others.

10. The gov pleader told the MCOCA court that Pandey, Purohit and Pragya were seen to be speaking about the RDX, chemical bombs and their use.

(Maha Mumbai, 27 Nov 2008)

As the investigation for Malegaon, Ajmer and Samjhauta Express blasts led by ATS Chief Hemant Karkare were exposing a networks of right wing Hindus from the Sang Pariva, Hemant Karkare was killed in a mysterious attack on CST-CAMA Lane during the Mumbai attacks.

After the Samjhauta blasts, India blamed Pakistan backed groups without any evidence. At the first meeting of Joint Terror Mechanism held on 6 March 2007, the Indian govt could only hand over a random photograph of a suspect. Today India is ruled by the likes of Yogi and Pragya.