Maharashtra ATS nabs Hindu Janjagran Samiti activist
Palghar/Mumbai, Aug 10 : The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has nabbed a right-wing activist of the Hindu Janjagran Samiti (HJS) and recovered some explosive materials from his home in Palghar early on Friday, an official said.
The activist has been identified as Vaibhav Raut. Earlier it was suspected that he was a Sanatan Sanstha activist, also a right-wing group.
The arrest followed an early morning raid in the Nala Sopara town. The ATS used a dog squad to swoop down on the Hindu group member.
The ATS has recovered some bomb-making material, including detonators, explosive powder and incriminating material during the raid at his home and shop in Bhandarali area of Nala Sopara.
The motives behind the explosives found with him are not clear and Raut has been taken from Palghar to Mumbai where he will be produced before a court later in the day.
Decrying the arrest of "a devout Hindu" as "Malegaon 2" the HJS has said Raut is an active Gau-Rakshak (Cow protector) of the Hindu Govansh Raksha Samiti.
"He used to participate in agitations and programmes for uniting Hindu organisations under the aegis of the HJS," said Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh HJS Organiser Sunil Ghanvat.
However, he had not taken part in any programmes since the past few months, the HJS chief added.
"The incidents of needless harassment of Hindu orgnisations' activists and implicating them in false cases are not new. It was amply proved through the Malegaon (2008 blasts) case and arrests of many innocent Sanatan Sanstha activists," Ghanvat said.
He was referring to the arrests of several leading Hindu functioneries, including Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur and others, during the investigations into the Malegaon blasts in a Muslim locality killing seven and injuring over 80.
Earlier on Friday, Raut's lawyer Sanjeev Punhalekar had also informed the media that Raut was not a Sanatan Sanstha activist and his name was being deliberately linked to defame the organisation.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
