Margao blast: four members of Hindu group held, toll goes to 2

Panaji, Oct 17 (PTI) Four persons belonging to a
right-wing Hindu group linked to Malegaon blast accused sadhvi
Pragya Singh Thakur were detained on Saturday in connection
with the explosion in Goa's Margao town in west India in which
two members of the outfit were killed.

Police were probing the links of right-wing group
Sanatan Sanstha with the blast that took place at 9.30 Friday
night when explosives kept in a scooter went off on a busy
street in Margao, 30 km from here.

Home Minister Ravi Naik said the explosives may have
got triggered before being planted at a designated spot.

"They wanted to disturb a traditional Diwali-eve event
'Narakasur' effigy competition in the heart of the town as the
blast took place only a few metres away from the competition
venue," he said.

A person named Melgunda Patil, hailing from
Maharashtra, was killed in the blast while another, Yogesh
Naik, succumbed to his injuries Saturday morning, Naik said.

Police raided Sanatan Sanstha headquarters at Ramnathi
in Ponda town, 20 km from Margao, following the blast and four
persons owing allegiance to the Sanstha were detained for
questioning, SP Bosco George said.

Two of the detained persons have been identified as
Suresh Naik, brother of Yogesh Naik, and Virendra Marathe,
manager of the ashram where the activities of the Sanstha are
run.

Suresh Naik was the owner of the scooter in which the
explosives were kept. He had bought the vehicle from the
Sanstha's disciple Nishad Bakle four years ago," the SP said.
(More) PTI