ATS chief Hemant Karkare disclosed his life was under threat, claims Digvijay Singh

NEW DELHI: Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has said that Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was gunned down by militants in the 26/11 attack, called him just hours before attack and said that his life was "blighted by constant threats" from those opposed to his probe into the Malegaon blast.

Speaking to reporters here, Singh said: "On November 26, 2008, at 7 .pm, just about two hours before the attacks in Mumbai started, Hemant Karkare, rang me on my mobile and told me how his family and his life were blighted by constant threats from people annoyed by his investigations into the Malegaon blasts."

"He was worried and he told me he was trying to trace the calls, but was depressed and worried by threats and personal attacks made in their newspapers," he said.

"Karkare also told me that he was hurt that in a paper, the mouthpiece of a Hindu right-wing organization, allegations were being made that my son was minting money in Dubai, when in reality he was only a school student in Mumbai," he added.

Singh said he knew Karkare as his family was associated with Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh.

"I was so shocked and demoralized on being told of his death in the attacks, that my initial reaction was, 'Oh God, they have killed him.' It was only later that I found out about other events taking place in the city on that dreadful day," he added.

Karkare was probing Malegaon blast, in which Sadhvi Pragya Singh is the prime suspect.