Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, has accused the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of torture and illegal detention.
In an affidavit filed on Monday, Thakur requested that an inquiry be conducted against the ATS for illegally detaining her for 13 days. The investigation should “include a polygraphic test and narco-analysis on officers of the ATS named by me and also of those officers whose names I don’t know, but can identify, for they subjected me to mental and physical abuse in custody…” the affidavit filed by her lawyer Ganesh Sovani said.
On October 7, an officer, who she identified as Sawant, had called up at her Jabalpur ashram and asked her to come to Surat. She met him on October 10 at the house of a disciple, Bhimbhai Pasricha. “Sawant told me that my vehicle, LML freedom 2, had been used in the Malegoan blast,” the affidavit said.
She told Sawant that the vehicle was sold to a Sunil Joshi of Madhya Pradesh in October 2004 for Rs 24,000. “I was taken to Kalachowkie in Mumbai on October 10 itself,” Thakur claimed. Two days later, the interrogators turned aggressive. They asked Pasricha to beat her up. When he refused, he was assaulted and had to comply with the order.
She alleged the officers even questioned her chastity. “I was physically and verbally traumatised… I wanted to commit suicide,” Thakur said.
The court is likely to take up the affidavit on November 29.
{{/usCountry}}The court is likely to take up the affidavit on November 29.
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