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BBC News: Hindu Holy Man responsible for terrorist attacks, not Muslims originally accused

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Hindu holy man Aseemanand in custody over India blasts

Swami Aseemanand

An Indian court has remanded in custody a Hindu holy man accused of a string of bomb attacks previously thought to be the work of Muslim militants.

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Swami Aseemanand allegedly admitted to placing bombs on a train to Pakistan, at a Sufi shrine and at a mosque.

He has also allegedly confessed to carrying out two assaults on the southern Indian town of Malegaon, which has a large Muslim population.

He has been remanded in custody for the four attacks until 27 January.

Headway
Police say that Swami Aseemanand gave them details of his role in the mosque attack in the city of Hyderabad in 2007 in addition to attacks on a graveyard in Malegaon and a Sufi shrine in Ajmer.

Several Muslim men were arrested for those attacks – and some reports said that they had been tortured. Most are still in custody.

Swami Aseemanand was arrested in November after being in hiding for two years, police said.

According to India’s Tehelka magazine, which has obtained a copy of his 42-page confession, he told his interrogators that the attacks on Muslim places were in response to attacks by Islamist militants in India.

It quotes him as saying that many of those involved in the bombings were members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – the right-wing parent organisation of India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

The bomb attack on the Samjhauta (Friendship) Express train travelling from India to Pakistan in February 2007 killed 68 people. Many of the passengers who died in the incident were Pakistanis returning home.

The 2008 blast in the town of Malegaon killed seven people and left more than 100 injured. A female Hindu priest, Sadhwi Pragya Singh Thakur, and a serving Indian army officer were among 11 people who were arrested in connection with the attack.

In May 2007, at least 14 people were killed in an explosion during Friday prayers at the Mecca mosque in Hyderabad. It is one of India’s biggest mosques, and rioting took place afterwards.

And in October 2007, a bomb attack on a famous Sufi Muslim shrine in the city of Ajmer – in the state of Rajasthan – killed two people.

Most of these blasts were initially blamed on local terror groups and several Muslim men were arrested for involvement.

But the police were unable to make much headway in their investigations.

Source: BBC News

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Muslim American born in Brooklyn, NY with Guyanese parents currently living in Virginia working full-time as a web developer.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Mirza Shahebaz Baig

    January 14, 2011 at 12:30 AM

    Salamualaikum Amir,
    The blame games in India is a common phenomenon. Please note the government could have requested to fasten the research on the case however when they want to uncover the results or leak a confession ( under duress or voluntary ) , given to find out truth? no one really cares of truth or Muslims, so your husn a dhann is good but its not really the case. its all vote bank and divert attention type issues and take public attention away from high food prices than ever and latest corruption / heavy civil charges some of the ministers from ruling party coalition members have successfully changed by bringing up equally or even more sensational topic. Its all the same every where.

    Recent years I could see, common non muslim public opinion of hatred for Muslims has grown so much that they are virtual intouchables. For renting flats or common jobs in mega cities like Mumbai etc. Anything against Islam/Muslim is bashed and i am MORE concerned with its disproportion’ness. Its impossible for some educated Muslim youth to take on and try to clear misconception. Other constructive means need to be taken.

    For example, it takes A womanizer sarkozy? has to tell Muslim women how to dress while French economy with the policies his government tried to implement is plunging and no body takes a finger.
    Since some of MM writers left working at indianmuslim site because of its otherness, I usually never frequent there but this (http://indianmuslims.in/wikileaks-has-plugged-few-holes-for-indian-muslims/) is a known open secret now.

    The very meaning of word Islaam is, to submit to the will of Allaah, and that means to accept whatever is happening be sincerely care about the situation and be grateful for ALL that we have. wallahu ‘alam.

    Reply

  3. Juliet

    July 4, 2017 at 10:03 PM

    Most of these blasts were initially blamed on local terror groups and several Muslim men were arrested for involvement. This alarm have reason for what ? The goverment have to need timely solution block. Very useful info, thanks.

    Reply

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