NIA probe to implicate us, claims Sanatan

Sanatan Sanstha, a right wing Hindu outfit, implicated in the Margao blasts case, termed the decision to hand over the probe to the National Investigative Agency as a "desperate" attempt to indict it in the case.

'The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Goa Police made every attempt to gather evidence against Sanatan Sanstha in the blast case, but they achieved nothing,' the organisation said in its mouthpiece Sanatan Prabhat. It said the case is transferred to NIA to make sure that Sanatan is indicted in the offence 'by hook or by crook.'

"How would they accuse Sanatan when the institution is not involved in the case? First it was local police, later anti-terrorist squads of different states and now NIA. The people in power have continuously harassed Sanatan," the article said. "The Sanatan will prove its innocence at the end of all this process. There is no basis to act against us," it said, adding the state government may still suggest the union government to impose a ban on it.

The Margao bomb blast on October 16 killed two of the SS's activists killed when they were ferrying explosives. The police arrested four people in connection with the case, all having affiliation to the outfit.