Mumbai, Jan 3: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested a key accused in the Samjhauta blast, Dhan Singh, in the 2006 Malegaon blast case.
Singh was earlier arrested in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
Meanwhile, a key accused in the 2007 Samjhauta blast case, Rajender Chaudhary, was also produced today in the special NIA court in connection with the 2006 blast case.
The court has remanded Singh and Chaudhary in NIA custody till January 17. The two accused told the court that their statements were taken "under duress."
The NIA has also sought production warrant against another key Samjhauta blast accused - Lokesh Sharma - in connection with the 2006 Malegaon case.
The multiple bomb explosion in Malegaon, a communally sensitive powerloom town in Nashik district, about 200 kms from here, had occurred near a mosque on September 8, 2006 killing 37 people and injuring over 100.
After the explosion, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested nine suspects. However, the MCOCA court had granted bail to all of them on November 5 last year.
The probe into the blast was handed over to CBI which endorsed the ATS findings.
The case went to the NIA, that came into existence in 2009, following the 26/11 Mumbai attack case.
In November last year, NIA had told the court that the confession of Swami Aseemanand, arrested in the 2007 blast at Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, pointed at the involvement of a right wing group in the Malegaon attack.
Malegaon had seen another attack in 2008 allegedly by right wing Hindu groups. Sadhvi Pragya Singh and former Lt Col Srikant Purohit were arrested in connection with it.
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