Ex-Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar financed right-wing terror group, says ATS

The anti-terrorist squad of the Mumbai Police have clarified that former Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar was the main financier of the right-wing terror group. ATS suspect that he was involved in making crude bombs and country-made guns that were seized in Nalasopara on August 10. Though ATS is suspecting that he was just a puppet. The investigative team is looking for the real mastermind.

As per the ATS, they are questioning Pangarkar since August 18 and have searched residences at Aurangabad and Jalna as well. Among the materials seized by ATS include — mobile phones, pen drives, hard disk, diaries and other materials. Also, a trail of money is being checked and he is being questioned for funding arms and ammunition. The aspect of whether he received arms directly or was it cash transactions are being looked at. In addition, the agency is further probing Pangarkar’s involvement in Dr Narendra Dabholkar’s shooting, reports Mid-Day.

After his arrest, Pangarkar was produced in the sessions court and was remanded to police custody till August 28. Seeking his custody, the ATS argued that they need time to investigate the essential aspects of the case. The ATS also want to investigate which targets were surveilled by him.

Till now, the ATS has arrested three people in the case —  Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanva Gondhalkar — on August 10. These people were arrested after an information that they were planning terror attacks in Mumbai, Pune, Nalasopara, Satara and Kolhapur. The ATS did subsequent raids in Pune and Nalasopara in Mumbai, which led to the seizures of crude bombs, country firearms and other evidence.

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