Malegaon blast case verdict What happened to my father asks wanted accused Kalsangra's son

Indore, Jul 31 (PTI) The son of wanted accused Ramji Kalsangra hailed the court's verdict on Thursday in the 2008 Malegaon blast case but sought closure for himself and his family with regards to the whereabouts of his father, missing now for 17 years.
An explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008 killing six persons and injuring 101 others. Seventeen years later, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all the seven accused noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence".
The verdict had brought clarity in the matter and had proved that the concept of "saffron terrorism" (bhagwa aatankwad) never existed, Devvrat Kalsangra told PTI in Indore.
"Since 2008, our entire family has been grappling with the uncertainty over whether my father is even alive. What could be more agonising than having no information about him for 17 years," a distressed Devvrat asked.
"The officials of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) harassed my family for a long time under the pretext of questioning in connection with my father's whereabouts. I want to ask the then ATS investigating officers whether my mother should consider herself a married woman or a widow," he said.
He alleged the ATS may have illegally detained his father and that something untoward may have happened to him during that period.
Seeking a thorough investigation into his father's disappearance and strict action against those found responsible, Devvrat said, "We are still waiting for justice. My mother, both my brothers and my grandparents still hope one day we will receive concrete news about my father."
Devvrat said his father, who originally belonged to a family of farmers, worked as an electrician and lived in Bengali Chauraha area here before going missing 17 years ago.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)