Police had initially claimed a breakthrough in the case after the arrest of one Hindu right wing group Sanatan Sanstha activist, but later withdrew their statement as no formal arrest was shown.
The people related to Sanatan Sanstha were being questioned by the police at Margao even as police spokesman Atmaram Deshpande claimed, "They have nowhere said that Sanatan Sanstha is involved in the blast. What we have said that people linked to the Sanstha are involved in the case," Deshpande, superintendent of police (PRO), told mediapersons in Panaji on Tuesday evening.
With no breakthrough, the Bhartiya Janata Party on Tuesday demanded that the blast should be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and not the local police. BJP leader and leader of the opposition in state Manohar Parrikar alleged at a press conference that state home minister Ravi Naik was sabotaging the investigations to attain his political end.
"It's shocking that till now police have failed to execute any arrests in the case. What we can see is utter laxity on the part of the investigating agencies," the former chief minister said.
The opposition party's statement came as a much needed support for transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar, an arch rival of Naik, whose wife was also under the scanner for her links with the Sanstha. The home minister had on Monday said the police will probe the alleged link of the minister's wife who is a functionary of the Sanstha.
Police rebuttal on Sanshta's alleged involvement came a day after deputy inspector general of police Ravindra Yadav had drawn parallels between Margao blast and explosions in Navi-Mumbai, Vashi and Panvel where too the Sanstha was accused of being involved. Naik too had alleged the Sanstha was linked to the blasts.
Two activitists Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, who are named as accused in the blast, died in the hospital. Both were linked to the Sanstha. Yogesh was accompanying Malgonda Patil on the blast day and was injured in the explosion. He reportedly came in touch with Malgonda at Sanatan's Ramnathi Ashram. Investigators are probing all aspects including foreign fundings of the Sanstha, which has its presence globally in countries like Australia, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, the police said.
