Mohammad Naushad Khan
New Delhi: Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar alias Bharat bhai who is believed to be the core financer of several blasts has revealed some startling facts after his arrest by the Rajasthan ATS on 4 February from Valsad in Gujarat. In his confessional statements he has said that the slain Sunil Joshi was the perpetrator of Ajmer blast in 2007. He has also named the senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar the mastermind of Joshi’s murder. It is also alleged that Bharat bhai had given Rs 70000, Rs 50000 and Rs 40000 to Joshi to trigger blasts at Malegoan, Ajmer Sharief and Mecca Masjid. Police wants to interrogate him to unravel the trail of funds used to buy mobile phone, SIM cards and materials used to carry out blasts. Just 15 minutes after the Ajmer blast Joshi called Bharat to say that the task has been completed. Bharat Bhai’s confessional statements as published in Mail Today (8 Feb. 2011) are:
1. Swami Asimanand introduced me to Pragya Thakur, Manoj – who I later learnt was Sunil Joshi – and 5-6 other RSS members at Shabrikumbh in 2006. In 2007, on Diwali eve, Manoj came to my place with a boy on a bike bearing a Madhya Pradesh number plate. On Shivratri in the same year, Manoj, Pragya Singh and another woman came to my house in the morning. Pragya performed puja and left. On the night of December 29-30, 2007, one Anandraj rang me up to say that Manoj was dead. When I called up Pragya Thakur the next day, she told me that Manoj had been murdered.
2. In 1999, Swami Asimanand performed purification rites on my land. That was when I met him for the first time. After this, I was in regular touch with him. He arranged for my holy dip at the Kumbh in Ujjain. As far as I know, Swami Asimanand was unhappy with the Varanasi Sankat Mochan temple and Gorakhpur terror attacks. When I talked to Swami Aseemanand (about the Ajmer blast), he was under the impression that it was the handiwork of the ISI. I then informed him about Manoj’s (Sunil Joshi) role and he said that he was bragging. I saw in the TV news that the Rajasthan ATS was on the lookout for Swami Asimanand in connection with the Ajmer blast. When I tried to contact Swamiji in Shabridham, I was told that no one knew of his whereabouts.
3. Manoj (Sunil Joshi) rang me up and asked if he could stay at my (Valsad) house. I enquired with Swami Asimanand about Manoj’s credentials and got an okay from him. On October 11, 2007, Manoj called me up on his mobile phone and said that they had burst the crackers. He asked me to switch on the TV when I expressed bewilderment at his message. Upon seeing the TV news, I came to know about the Ajmer blast.
4. Swami Aseemanand confirmed that Manoj was Sunil Joshi. He said he was very upset (at Joshi’s murder) and revealed that Indresh had got Manoj killed. He said Indreshji was an RSS leader who didn’t like Joshi. I advised him to inform Col (Shrikant) Purohit (Malegaon blast accused) as he had stayed in MP (Joshi’s home state).
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on 14 February demanded that the Madhya Pradesh government hand over the probe into the murder of Sunil Joshi to the CBI.
(This article appeared in The Milli Gazette print issue of 1-15 March 2011 on page no. 4)
