Zeenews Bureau
Nashik, Nov 15: In a fresh development in the Malegaon blast probe, Mahant Amritanand alias Dayanand Pandey, arrested from Kanpur by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, was on Saturday questioned by the Haryana police in connection with the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that killed at least 68 Indian and Pakistani Muslims.
Haryana police has so far not come out with details of the interrogation and have termed it as a routine affair.
Meanwhile, another accused in the blast case, Lt Col Prasad S Purohit’s police custody also ends today and he is slated to appear in Nashik court later in the day. It is believed that Mumbai ATS would demand extension of remand for Purohit.
Dayanand Pandey was on Friday sent to police remand till November 26 by the Nashik Magistrate's court.
Pandey is accused under Sections 16, 18 and 23 of Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, Section 345 of Explosives Act, and Sections 302, 307, 326, 324, 427, 153 A/120 B of IPC.
Pandey, head of Sharda Sarvagya Peeth in Jammu, was produced on Thursday in Lucknow before magistrate Mukesh Kumar who gave him transit remand for three days.
ATS officials had said he had attended several meetings in Nashik and Madhya Pradesh prior to the Malegaon blast on September 29 where Lt Col Prasad S Purohit, main accused and others arrested, were also present.
The ATS team may visit Jammu and Kashmir to probe Pandey's activities in that state, the official said.
Pandey's Chartered Accountant (CA) VK Kapoor and his son Pawan were also detained in Jammu for questioning. The pair was however let off as "nothing adverse" was found against them.
Till now, 10 persons have been arrested on charges of murder, conspiracy and under the Indian Explosives Act in connection with the blast that left six dead and about 80
injured.
Four persons including Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, retired Army official Ramesh Upadhyay, Abhinav Bharat member Sameer Kulkarni and Purohit have undergone scientific tests like brain mapping, polygraph and narco-analysis.
Eight persons are presently in judicial custody till November 17 and Purohit is in police custody till November 15.