Malegaon: NIA discovers 'secret letter' written by Purohit warning of radical right wing groups

The National Investigation Agency has acquired a 'secret letter' apparently written on 15 October 2008, by Lt Colonel Srikant Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, in which Purohit warned his seniors in the Military Intelligence wing of the Army of the emergence of right wing radical groups. He said in this letter that this could lead to "communal clashes".

The letter was sent two weeks after the second Malegaon blasts, and refers to "an A-2 source", who "provided some valuable information with regard to the right-wing activities in Maharashtra and Gujarat."

According to the NIA, the letter may have been written as an "afterthought".

Purohit had been arrested by the Maharashtra ATS on 5 November 2008, along with Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and nine others, says The Economic Times.

His two page 'secret' letter names senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, saying "he has established sufficient influence over cadres of ABVP and ex ABVP radical cadres."

Under the subhead 'Assessment', Purohit wrote: "Subversion in an organisation like RSS would facilitate actions like one which took place in Gujarat, Malegaon and would further lead to communal clashes which would in turn facilitate fifth columnists, SIMIIM activists and supporters to go all out in action oriented activities. It may lead to many separatist movements and blame would go onto organisation like RSS."

The letter continued: "One of such associates (of Indresh) - Mr P Joshi- was assassinated in Dewas on 29-30, 2007 by unidentified killers. This individual was supposedly involved in the crude bomb blast in Ajmer Sharif Shrine. When he was killed, a ticket to Gujarat was found on his body. The other person who is operating in that area is one lady by name of Pragya Singh."