Anti terror squad quizzes 3 more army men in Malegaon blast case

After arresting Lt Col Srikant Prasad Purohit in connection with Malegaon blasts, the Maharashtra Anti terror squad (ATS) on Monday interrogated three more army personnel in connection with the case in Mumbai.

"Three of our personnel below the officer rank were interrogated by the Maharashtra ATS in connection with the September 29 blasts in Mumbai," army sources said here.

The personnel interrogated today include one Junior Commissioned Officer and two jawans, the sources said adding all the three have served with Purohit at one time or the other in the army and in Military Intelligence (MI).

The interrogation was done in Mumbai cantonment in the presence of Army officials, sources said.

Purohit, arrested in early November by the ATS, is the first army officer to have been apprehended for his alleged involvement in a terror case.

A couple of retired officers, including Maj Ramesh Upadhayay, have also been arrested by the ATS in the case.

The sources said there was no formal request from ATS to interrogate with the trio but "we are cooperating on our own with the ATS in the case as we want the truth to come out".

The ATS, the sources said, has not levelled any charges against these men.

"Our men have not been arrested and the ATS has not levelled any charges against them for their involvement in the blasts and the interrogation is part of ATS' investigations in to the case," they said.