Sanatan Sanstha To Provide Legal Aid To Alleged Worker From Whose House Eight Crude Bombs Were Recovered

On August 10, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) while conducting a raid at a Sanatan Sanstha sympathiser’s residence in Nalasopara, Mumbai recovered eight country-made bombs along with other explosives.

The raid was conducted by ATS team under the supervision of a senior IPS-rank officer. The right-wing Sanatan Sanstha sympathiser, Vaibhav Raut’s house was raided in the wee hours of August 10, and the raid continued till early morning. Along with eight country-made bombs and other explosives some literature were found from his residence.

Early morning visuals from Vaibhav Raut's residence in Mumbai's Nala Sopara area from where Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) recovered some suspicious material yesterday. Vaibhav Raut detained. More details awaited. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/fVeZVQRuAc

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2018

According to the Indian Express, Vaibhav has been taken into custody for further questioning. He is likely to be arrested and would be then produced before a local court, said the sources.

The recovered explosives have been handed over to the Mumbai Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain how lethal they are in nature.

“We want to know the source of these explosives and how Raut intended to use them and therefore his custodial interrogation is necessary,” said official requesting anonymity.

However, the Sanatan Sanstha has denied accepting Vaibhav Raut as their active member. Sanatan Sanstha advocate Sanjeev Punelikar told the press that Raut was acquainted with its member.

“Raut had been extended by the Palghar police in connection with a beef ban case. While he is a Hindutva worker, he isn’t our member. However I doubt the ATS claim of he hoarding explosives,” said Punelikar.

Even after, disassociating Vaibhav Raut from Sanatan Sanstha, the advocate added that the outfit would provide Raut legal aid as reported by the Indian Express.

As soon as the news of Raut being caught with explosives took to social media, another video of Vaibhav Raut has surfaced on the internet. In the video, he is seen “requesting” women to dress “appropriately” so that men do not get “distracted”.

Journalist Alka Dhupar has recently in a series of tweet accused the Sanatan Sanstha of conducting weapon training saying,

Imp: I have a copy of a letter signed by Virendra Marathe, Managing trustee of #SanatanSanstha on the letterhead sent by official email id where he admitted air rifle handling training for 2 yrs was given to15 members in Valpoi in 2001.From where did they source these air rifles?

— Alka Dhupkar (@alka_dhupkar) August 10, 2018

In 2001 for 2 years #SanatanSanstha has trained 15 members in walking a rope,going through pipes, balancing rod, handling air rifles Where did the air rifles come from?Licensed Air rifles. Why would a trust registered with charity commissioner have air rifles?Do they hv license?

— Alka Dhupkar (@alka_dhupkar) August 10, 2018

#SanatanSanstha every year organises Hindu Samelan in Goa at its headquarter. Unity of extreme right wing organisation is helping to spread #SanatanSanstha wing in other states like Karnataka where Kalburi and Gauri Lankesh are killed.Members of SS are allegedly involved in crime

— Alka Dhupkar (@alka_dhupkar) August 10, 2018

Officially @Dev_Fadnavis has informed in the assembly session that Maharashtra government's proposal to ban #SanatanSanstha is still pending with central government. Why so much secrecy on both central & state levels? What is the current status of this proposal? Let people know.

— Alka Dhupkar (@alka_dhupkar) August 10, 2018

“Ban Sanatan Sanstha”

According to the Hindustan times, last year in April, the Maharashtra government sent a proposal to the Centre seeking a ban on Sanatan Sanstha. The Goa-headquarter of the Sanstha was linked to two high profile murder cases, including that of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and also terror activities in Goa and Maharashtra.

A Goa-based Sahitya writer, Damodar Mauzo recently said that the right-wing outfits such as Sanatan Sanstha should be banned as they are like “cancer” for the state.

Other than Vaibhav Raut, more people allegedly associated with Sanatan Sanstha have been arrested in the past. In 2007, four people were arrested for bombings in Vashi, Thane, Panvel, Goa (in 2009) and in the murders of rationalists – Narendra Dabholkar (in 2013), Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi (both in 2015) and senior journalist Gauri Lankesh (2017).

The Maharashtra police and the Central Bureau of Investigation probing these cases have also questioned the outfit’s founder Jayant Balaji Athavale in the past.

Also read: Four Arrested For Gauri Lankesh’s Murder, Probe Reveal Their Next Target Was Kannada Writer K S Bhagwan