Ajmer Blasts: Pointers at RSS

The Central Bureau of Investigation made a startling revelation on Saturday regarding the direct involvement of two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanch men in the Ajmer blasts. The charges against the duo -- Ashol Varshney and Ashok Berry -- was that they had harboured Devender Gupta, one of the key accused in the Ajmer blasts case.

The CBI has refused to divulge details regarding these two men who were present during the questioning of Gupta, who in turn had claimed that he knew of these two men and also added that they had lent a helping hand while he was on the run.

While the RSS has been distancing itself from these acts of terror and has also sought the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party to help clear its name, the fact remains that these two men are high-ranking members of the outfit.

Varshney is the head of the Kanpur unit of the RSS and was formerly chief of the Lucknow unit. Berry, on the other hand, is part of the RSS national executive and he was chief of the Uttar Pradesh unit prior to this new assignment.

The two men were questioned in Hyderabad in the presence of their lawyer along with Gupta and their statements will now be presented before the court. During questioning, Varshney is said to have admitted that he had helped Gupta find accommodation in Kanpur, while he was on the run. It was during the same time that Berry had helped him find a house in Lucknow and later at Sitapur. This was revealed by Gupta during his interrogation, but denied by Berry.

A CBI officer told rediff.com that though they would not arrive at any conclusion regarding a direct link, the fact remains that these two men provided shelter despite knowing that Gupta was an accused in the case. Moreover, they also stayed in touch with Gupta, which itself raises suspicion.

When they were questioned, they admitted that they knew he was a suspect in the case, but vehemently denied any knowledge of the plot behind the Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts. They denied knowledge regarding the other accused in case such as Ramchandra Kalasangra and Sandeep Dange.

The CBI now plans to question more persons.

"We realise that it is very important that we nab the likes of Kalasangra and Dange since the dots are not adding up as of now," sources said.

"The two men are unnecessarily being dragged into this and they had no knowledge of the plot leading up to these blasts. Let us see what happens and then we will react," an RSS spokesperson said.