Terror 'guru' stayed as ex-governor Sinha's guest: Mufti

JAMMU: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Sunday demanded a probe into alleged links between the ex-state Governor Lt-Gen(Retd) S K Sinha and Hindu seer and Malegaon blast accused Dayanand Pandey.

Sinha however said Sayeed's allegation was totally false. "I don't know him. I never met him," said Sinha, who had strained relations with the PDP during his tenure.

Pandey, who frequently visited the state, was a guest of the former governor and stayed at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar in 2007, the PDP patron alleged at a news conference.

This showed Pandey's "connections" with the ex-governor and this should be probed, Sayeed said. Pandey was arrested on Nov.12 and sent to judicial custody by a Nashik court.

"Frequent visits by Pandey to the state and his being entertained by the former Governor raises suspicion...," he said, adding the matter needed to be probed in the background of alleged involvement of some army officers in the Malegaon blasts.

Sayeed said the alleged involvement of seers and army officers in Malegaon blasts was dangerous, adding authorities should also probe the "linkage" of such elements with Kashmir militancy.

Asked whether he had differences with the ex-governor on the Amarnath land issue, Sayeed said he wanted implementation of Sengupta committee's recommendations, including limiting the number of devotees undertaking the Amarnath pilgrimage.

But, Sinha was adamant and did not agree with the advice of his government, he alleged.

The committee was set up in the aftermath of over 200 people losing their lives due to avalanches and snowstorms en route the cave shrine.