Muthalik denies knowing Malegaon blast accused

Sri Ram Sene chief, Pramod Muthalik, whose outfit was behind the attack on a Mangalore pub has denied knowing any of the persons wanted for their alleged involvement in Malegaon blast, a senior Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad official said on Monday.

"He has denied knowing wanted accused in Malegaon blast", Additional Commissioner of Police, Param Bir Singh said.
"Muthalik has admitted that he met some of the people involved in the Malegaon blast but had met them in November 2007 at a convention of other Hindu organisations," Singh said.

Three persons are still wanted for their alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blast case in which the ATS has filed its chargesheet against 12 persons.

The right wing organisation leader also said he had made statements regarding the Malegaon blast at a recent seminar organised in Udipi, Karnataka, he said. The seminar was organised allegedly by Sanathan Sanstha, a right wing group some of whose members were accused of carrying out blasts at two theatres in Thane last year to protest the enactment of a play, Singh said.

The speech was organised after the arrest of accused in the Malegaon blast case, he said. An ATS team had been sent to interrogate him regarding statements made by him regarding Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur at the speech in Udipi.