Main accused in the Margao blast Malgonda Patil had revealed to the police names of those involved in the explosion before his death, said Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik. "Patil made certain statements to the police before his death naming people who were involved (in the blast), while he was being shifted from a hospital in Margao to Panaji," Naik told reporters.
Patil, a senior functionary of Hindu right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha, suspected behind the Goa blast, was also allegedly involved in last year's explosions in Thane, Vashi, Panvel and Navi Mumbai.
The improvised explosive devices carried by Patil and his accomplice Yogesh Naik had exploded near Grace Church in Margao town on October 16. After the first blast, the police had defused three more bombs across the state.
Both Patil and Naik later succumbed to injuries.
The home minister, however, refused to divulge the details of Patil's dying declaration, saying it would be detrimental to the investigation.
However, Superintendent of Police Atmaram Deshpande, who is also the spokesman for the Goa police, said he was not aware of any such dying declaration by Patil. "As per my knowledge there is no dying declaration by any of the accused."
Five days after the blast, the police have not made any arrests although several people, including those from Sanatan Sanstha, have been questioned by the special investigation team formed under Superintendent of Police Omprakash Kurtarkar.
The Goa police and the Maharahstra Anti-Terrorism Squad have conducted several raids, including one at the Sanatan Sanstha ashram at Ramnathi.
