No evidence that Karkare called Digvijaya: RR

Home minister RR Patil said there was no evidence of slain Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare calling senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on November 26, 2008, hours before his death.

Home minister RR Patil said there was no evidence of slain Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare calling senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on November 26, 2008, hours before his death.

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Singh recently claimed that Karkare had called him shortly before being shot by terrorists and told him that he feared for his life because he was under threat from Hindu extremists. “There is no evidence of any telephonic conversation between Singh and Karkare,” Patil said.

Patil spoke in the Assembly on Thursday after BJP legislator Devendra Fadnavis demanded a statement from the government. Fadnavis condemned Singh’s statement saying it would dilute India’s claim of Pakistan’s hand in the terror attacks.

Patil said Pakistani terrorists killed Karkare. He said Karkare was disturbed about a section of people doubting his credentials when the names of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and other members of a Hindu outfit were accused in the Malegaon blast case. “He expressed his displeasure over the issue and conveyed it to the home department and the then commissioner of police, Mumbai,” Patil said.