Mumbai, Dec 31 (Mumbai Mirror): The National Investigation Agency on Friday launched a probe the verify the sensational claim by a suspended policeman that two of the main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case were killed in custody by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad. This newspaper had front-paged the story in its December 30 edition.

The bodies of Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra, who were accused of planting the bombs in Malegaon, were disposed of by the ATS along with the victims of 26/11attacks, police inspector Mehboob Mujawar has told a Solapur court.

Dange and Kalsangra are believed to be on the run for the past eight years.

“NIA got to know how about these claims from the papers today. They will investigate into these claims. The investigating officer appeared before the court and asked for permission to do so,” Special Public Prosecutor Avinash Rasal told Mirror.

Mujawar, who was part of the probe team for the blasts and is currently facing a disproportionate assets case and another under the Arms Act, made the allegations in an affidavit filed earlier this month before a magistrate court. He also claimed that he was witness to the killing of Kalsangara.

“It’s a serious matter. We have initiated inquiry to find out the truthfulness in the claims of Mehboob Mujawar. We will also go through the details of two unidentified bodies which Mujawar claims are of Kalsangara and Dange,” said an NIA officer.

Sources in NIA that they will match the photographs of the two unclaimed bodies found at CST after the 26/11 with the original photographs of Kalsangara and Dange. If the photographs match more than 60 percent, Mujawar’s claims will have serious authenticity, they said.

The state government too has taken cognisance of the Mujawar’s revelations. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The allegations are quite serious and we have to look into that why they were not investigated since 2009. The truthfulness of the matter should come out and the agencies will investigate.”

Speaking to Mirror, Mujawar had earlier said, “A terror suspect whom I had caught in connection with the Malegaon blasts from Jalgaon was allowed to go scot free, whereas Kalsangra and Dange were taken into custody the same day as Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. Kalsangra and Dange were taken to Nashik and from there they were taken to Mumbai, where they were killed in custody,” he said.

Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who were arrested on conspiracy charges in the case, are currently in jail.

Mujawar was advised to file the affidavit by social activist Neeraj Gunde, whom the policeman had approached for advice on the two cases filed against him.