Trainer of man accused in Nalasopara explosives haul case held in West Bengal

After the Nalasopara explosives haul was unearthed in August 2018, the investigation had revealed that the accused, connected with the right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha, had also planned an attack at the Sunburn music festival held in Pune in December 2017.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 34-yearold man from West Bengal in connection with the Nalasopara explosives haul. Police said the accused, Pratap Hajara, was wanted by the Maharashtra ATS after his role as being one of the trainers in the manufacture of explosives was revealed in the 2018 probe. Hajara had also played a key role in planning an attack at the Sunburn Music Festival

in Pune. Hajara was arrested from Nainapur in West Bengal.

Police said, Hajara, who was arrested from Nainapur in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Monday with the assistance of Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF), was absconding since the arrests of the other accused in the

Nalasopara arms haul case. Hajara was brought to the city on Wednesday on transit remand and was produced in a local court. He has been remanded in police custody till January 30.

Those arrested in the explosives haul case were found to possess crude bombs, explosive materials, country-made pistols and weapons such as choppers, stashed at a garage in Nallasopara and other parts of Maharashtra. Hajara had also trained other accused in making crude bombs, large quantities of which were seized from Nalasopara.

A senior official from the Maharashtra ATS said the conspirators had opposed the Sunburn Festival because they thought it promoted `western music and culture’, directly contradicting their right-wing ideologies.