Malegaon Blast Case: Here's What Retired ATS Officer Mehboob Mujawar Claimed | Court Order Details

Last Updated:August 03, 2025, 05:06 IST

Mujawar, who was one of the investigating officers in the case, claimed that senior ATS officials had explicitly instructed him to detain and arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Mujawar said he refused to comply with this 'illegal order', as he found no substantial role or involvement of Mohan Bhagwat in the alleged crime. (Photo: X, PTI)

In the detailed order of the special NIA court of Mumbai in the 2008 Malegaon blast case seen by CNN-News18, the testimony of former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar has brought to light serious allegations of coercion and internal pressure within the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) during the initial stages of the investigation.

According to the arguments presented by the counsel for accused number 10, ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar, who was one of the investigating officers in the case, claimed that senior ATS officials had explicitly instructed him to detain and arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Mujawar, however, said he refused to comply with this “illegal order", as he found no substantial role or involvement of Mohan Bhagwat in the alleged crime. As a consequence of his defiance, Mujawar alleged that he was subsequently implicated in a false case by the ATS, which was filed before a magistrate in Solapur. In support of these arguments, the defence counsel submitted certified copies of the said application and Mujawar’s statement recorded under Section 313 of the CrPC in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Solapur.

The court’s order further delves into corroborating testimonies. During his cross-examination, prosecution witness PW-320, ACP Mohan Kulkarni, rejected the suggestion that Mehboob Mujawar had been dispatched to apprehend a senior functionary of the RSS. However, Kulkarni did admit that Mujawar was indeed sent to trace absconding accused AA-1 (Ramji Kalsangra) and AA-2 (Sandeep Dange). Kulkarni also denied a suggestion that Mujawar had publicly stated that the ATS had shot dead two persons, which might have been a reason for his exclusion from the charge sheet’s witness list.

Further adding to the picture, the cross-examination of prosecution witness PW-321, Dy. SP Anil Dubey, confirmed his awareness that Mehboob Mujawar was indeed a member of the ATS team and that his statement had been recorded by Wankhede.

Considering the entirety of this evidence, the court’s order explicitly noted that Mujawar was a member of the ATS team and had investigated the present case under the direction of his senior officers. It was also revealed that he had been questioned in connection with the deaths of Ramchandra Kalsangra (AA-1) and Sandeep Dange (AA-2) concerning his statements made before the media and news agencies. Significantly, the court pointed out that despite his involvement and the critical nature of his allegations, Mujawar’s name was neither included in the witness list nor was he produced as a witness by either the prosecution or the defence during the trial.

Yesha Kotak

Yesha Kotak, Special Correspondent, CNN-News18, specialises in crime, court and investigative reporting. She describes herself as a print reporter in TV. With six years of experience in journalism, she has been...Read More

Yesha Kotak, Special Correspondent, CNN-News18, specialises in crime, court and investigative reporting. She describes herself as a print reporter in TV. With six years of experience in journalism, she has been...

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August 03, 2025, 05:06 IST

News india Malegaon Blast Case: Here's What Retired ATS Officer Mehboob Mujawar Claimed | Court Order Details

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