Ahmedabad

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today took over the investigation into the murder of two BJP leaders from Bharuch police, an official said.

The Union Home Ministry has approved recommendation of Gujarat Government for NIA probe in this case, they said.

Sources revealed that a NIA team comprising seven to eight today reached at the Superintendent of Police(SP) office in Bharuch.

“NIA officials have reached today to officially take over the probe from us. We will hand over all information and documents related to the case as well as details of progress made till date. From now onwards, NIA will probe the case” said Deputy Superintendent of Police(DySP) of Bharuch N D Chauhan.

The two BJP leaders – former party president of Bharuch district and senior RSS member Shirish Bangali and general secretary of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha of Bharuch district Pragnesh Mistry – were shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in Bharuch on November 2.

Later, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) who assisted Bharuch Police had nabbed 11 persons involved in the conspiracy, including two sharpshooters.

Police have termed these murders an ‘act of terror’.

The probe has revealed that the contract for killing the BJP leaders was allegedly given by absconding Javed Chikna, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, apparently to avenge riots in Mumbai during 1993 and in Gujarat during 2002.

Recently, ATS nabbed his brother Abid Patel, a British citizen, from Indo-Nepal border.

According to ATS officials, Abid played a key role in carrying out murder of two BJP leaders.

They said he came to Bharuch to arrange weapons and carry out the killings at the behest of his brother Javed.

In November, Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) P C Thakur announced that state government has recommended NIA probe as the key conspirator is believed to be out of India.

“We have requested the Centre to hand over the probe to NIA. As per the NIA Act, investigations are handed over to the national agency whenever the local police finds international linkages of local terror modules and perpetrators need to be brought to India” Thakur had said on November 19.

PTI