The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) said in the Bombay high court on Monday that it had not found any calls to have been exchanged between former revenue minister Eknath Khadse and fugitive don Dawoo
The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) said in the Bombay high court on Monday that it had not found any calls to have been exchanged between former revenue minister Eknath Khadse and fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim in its preliminary inquiry. The ATS also ruled out any terror angle in the case, as alleged by Gujarat-based hacker Mr Bhangale.
A division bench of Justice N.H. Patil and Justice P.D. Naik was hearing a PIL filed by Mr Bhangale, requesting that the probe be shifted to the CBI and claiming that the state ATS had conducted only a partial probe. Mr Bhangale claimed that he had hacked the authentication process of Pakistan Communication Company Ltd. in April, from where he had acquired the don’s telephone records. He maintained that calls had been exchanged between the gangster and Mr Khadse.
Meanwhile, ATS lawyer Niteen Pradhan told the court that Mr Bhangale’s allegation that the state investigation agency was taking his information lightly was not true. Mr Pradhan said that the ATS was conducting a fair investigation and there was no need to transfer the probe to the CBI. He further said that they had found other serious information during the probe and needed help from the cyber cell of the Mumbai crime branch for further investigations. The HC accepted the ATS’ arguments and directed Mr Bhangale to appear before crime branch’s cyber cell as and when required and provide the information that he had.
Disposing of the petition, Justice Patil said, “We cannot turn to the CBI every time. We have to trust and have faith in the state machinery also. If, at a later stage, the petitioner feels that the probe is not being carried out properly, he can approach the high court again.”
