Special Correspondent
 
Panaji, Oct 31: In a major breakthrough, Goa Police on Saturday arrested men from Karnataka living in Goa for their involvement in Sancoale blast, a series of explosion to the Margao blast.

Vinayak Patil (27) and Vinay Talekar (30) were arrested by special investigation team (SIT) probing Margao blast which occurred on October 16. The bomb at Sancoale was in series with Margao explosives, which triggered pre-maturely killing two – Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik – who were ferrying it on the scooter.

Deputy inspector general of police Ravindra Yadav told reporters here that both the accused were arrested in Margao where they were called for the interrogation. Yadav confirmed that Talekar originally hailing from Karwar (Karnataka) and Patil from Belgaum (Karnataka) were currently residing in Ponda town, which has sanatan saunstha’s ashram.

Police have refused to divulge more on the arrests claiming that the formal statement would be issued by late evening. Both are allegedly involved in planting explosives at sancoale, 20 kms away from Margao. The IED kept in a pick up van did not blast as the driver heard ticking sound from the bag.

The bomb disposal squad (BDS) had diffused the explosives, half an hour after Margao blast. Police said that these explosives were supposed to blast at 10.45 pm and were diffused at 10.15 pm. The pick up van driver had intimated police about the suspicious bag, which he threw in the field. Gelatin sticks, a detonator, timer and a power circuit was recovered from the bag.

The explosives were planted next to narakasur competition, which is a popular event in Sancoale and annual affair on Diwali eve. Police have already booked Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, two sanatan saunstha activists who died in the blast, as prime accused in the case.