Police to verify Sadhvi aide's links to Malegaon blast

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police will send teams to Maharashtra and other states to find out if Shailendra Chauhan, arrested here for his "involvement" in several attacks on religious places, had any role in the 2008 Malegaon blast.

Police claim that Chauhan has links with right-wing group Abhinav Bharat, whose members are accused of hatching conspiracy for the Malegaon blast.

26-year-old Chauhan, an alleged aide of Pragya Singh Thakur, the prime accused in the blast case, was arrested from Nand Nagari area here on Thursday. Police had said Chauhan owed allegiance to an outfit named Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh.

"There are sufficient links that Chauhan was one of the active members of Abhinav Bharat. He was also in touch with some of its leaders who were involved in planning the Malegaon blasts," a senior Delhi Police official claimed.

Chauhan was also alleged to be in close touch with Thakur until her arrest last year, the official said adding that Delhi Police teams would visit Maharashtra and Gujarat to ascertain Chauhan's links and role in the blasts.

"One of the teams would visit Malegaon. We are sharing intelligence with Maharashtra and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad related to Chauhan. We have got useful information from other state police forces too," the official said.