Author: CNN-IBN
Publication: IBNLive.com
Date: November 24, 2008
URL: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cbi-denies-vhps-togadia-funded-abhinav-bharat/78894-3.html
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
has denied reports of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia was involved
in funding Abhinav Bharat, which is being investigated for its role in the
Malegaon bomb blast case.
"The reports of Mr Togadia being involved
are not true. The CBI has never mentioned any such person in any of the reports,"
CBI Spokesperson Harsh Behl said.
Behl also revealed that the investigating
agency had not given any report connected to the Malegaon bomb blast to the
Central Government.
Togadia, too, had denied his involvement with
Abhinav Bharat. He said the allegations of his involvement with Abhinav Bharat
were unfounded, criminally defamatory, malafide and politically motivated.
Earlier, some reports had claimed that Malegaon
blast mastermind Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit had alleged that
Togadia was involved in funding Abhinav Bharat.
Lt Col Purohit, who has been arrested for
masterminding the blast, reportedly claimed that Togadia provided the organisation
with some funds to start out.
The claims were reportedly made while the
Lt Col was being interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The September 29 blast in Malegaon had killed
at least six people and injured nearly 70.
