ATS arrests two men for planting bomb in Thane theater

Mumbai: The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested two men for planting a bomb in a Thane theater minutes before the screening of a play Amhi Pachpute.

Ramesh Gadkari and Mangesh Nikam are both members of a Hindu organisation called the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti. However, the organisation denies the two were working on their orders.

President of the organisation Abhay Vartak said, “They were not members. They were just living in the ashram.”

But the group recently stood up for Gadkari on its website. A look at the website shows that the organisation is protesting a number of so-called ‘insults’ on Hinduism – from the movie Jodha Akbar, the play Amhi Pachpute, which was a parody of the Mahabharat, to Hollywood movies, and even Indian ads.

“The play has insulted Hinduism. So has MF Hussain,” Vartak said.

The Samiti's ashram in New Panvel was raided on Tuesday, and officials said that over 1,000 members and supporters have been questioned since the blasts.

“We are finding out who the members are and where the funds are coming from,” Joint Commissioner of ATS, Hemant Karkare said.

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