http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/NIA-to-take-over-Margao-blast-case/articleshow/5363616.cms
NIA to take over Margao blast case TNN 22 December 2009, 04:31am IST Confirming this, inspector general of police (IGP) K D Singh said, "One NIA team is already in Goa and another team will arrive on Tuesday. The process of handing over the case to them is going on." Sources in the Goa police said that a need was felt to hand over the blast case to the NIA as there is an interstate connection in the blast. "There is definitely a link between the blasts in Maharashtra and Goa. As it doesn't concern just one state but linked with other states too, the NIA will be handling it," said police sources. Police said that SIT investigations have revealed a strong link between Malgonda Patil, main accused in the Margao blast accused, with Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. However, no official confirmation could be received. IGP Singh said, "The investigations are on. The accused may or may not have links with Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. We can't disclose anything at this time." "Now is not the time to say if there is a link or no link as the case is being investigated by the NIA," Singh added. Police have maintained that they were probing the links between Margao and Malegao blasts, through Patil. Goa police's special investigation team (SIT) had earlier confirmed Patil's link with the accused in Thane and Panvel blasts. Vikram Bhave, one of the accused in the Panvel blast, was reportedly in touch with Patil. The investigations had also unearthed that Patil was present in Sangli, Maharashtra during the riots. It may be recalled that the NIA on December 16 had written to local courts in Goa, intimating about taking over the Margao blast case from SIT. The NIA also informed that two different cases were registered related to the blast and recovery of explosive substances from a village near Vasco town on October 16. The central investigating agency had formally taken over the case on December 17.