Mumbai, Feb 18: RSS leader Shyam Apte has alleged

two RSS leaders, including general secretary Mohan Bhagwat

were funded by Pakistan`s ISI, Malegaon blast accused

Dayanand Pandey said in his confessional statement to the

police.

"In August 2008, I had gone to Pune where I met with

RSS leader Shyam Apte who told me about (Indresh) Kumar

(Muslim wing leader of RSS) and Bhagwat taking money from ISI.

Lt Col Srikant Purohit, after learning about this, had asked

one Captain Joshi to murder the two," Pandey said in his

confession before a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

The self-styled religious leader, in his statement to

the police, has said Purohit, who had formed right wing group

Abhinav Bharat, had directed one Captain Joshi to murder

Indresh Kumar and Mohan Bhagwat.

The statement said Joshi was, however, not able to

execute the murder which had infuriated Apte.

Pandey said the entire Malegaon blast conspiracy

was hatched by Purohit and co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh

Thakur who wanted to take the lead in the cause of Hindutva

and "avenge for the deaths of Hindus caused by Muslims across

the country".

"In August 2007, I met Purohit in Deolali camp (near

Nashik) where he told me about forming a right wing group by

the name Abhinav Bharat for promoting and safeguarding

Hindutva," Pandey`s confession statement said.

In January 2008, Pandey attended a meeting of Abhinav

Bharat in Faridabad in which Purohit, co-accused Sudhakar

Chaturvedi and retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay were present, it

said.

In the meeting, Purohit spoke extensively about the

setting up of a "Hindu Rashtra" with its own Constitution

for the protection of Hindus, it added.

"Purohit had also said he would arrange for explosives

which can be used to blast Muslim-dominated areas. Upadhyay

then said that he can arrange for men to prepare the bombs,"

Pandey has said.

In June 2008, Pandey had gone to Indore where he met

the Sadhvi who told him that she had asked Purohit to arrange

for explosives for the protection of Hindus.

"Sadhvi said that Purohit was not taking the cause

seriously and asked me to convince him to arrange for the

explosives immediately," the statement said.

Of the 11 arrested accused in the case, two - Pandey

and Rakesh Dhawde - have given confessional statements.

Confession given before a DCP-level officer is

admissible in the court under Maharashtra Control of Organised

Crime Act (MCOCA) which has been invoked in the Malegaon case.

Bureau Report