Investigators said that a curious change of heart led Swami Aseemanand, 58, arrested for his involvement in the Mecca Masjid blast, to reveal details of the conspiracy behind five major blasts, including the attack on Samjhauta Express.
Senior officials probing the conspiracy believe that key to this was Aseemand?s interaction with a 21-year-old Muslim boy, Sheikh Abdul Khaleem, during his judicial custody.
Khaleem was among 15 men ?wrongly arrested? by the Hyderabad Police investigating the Mecca Masjid blast. On November 13, 2008, The Indian Express reported on how the Andhra Pradesh government panel confirmed that at least 15 Muslim men ? picked up by police for the Mecca Masjid blast on May 18, 2007, that killed nine people and the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat House blasts on August 26 that year that killed 42 people ? were tortured for as long as six months.
Khaleem was 19 and working as a lab technician when he was arrested. According to the panel?s report, he was blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination, beaten on the soles of his feet, stripped and then administered shots through a ?small machine.?
Aseemanand changed over 30 locations across several states in the last two years to evade arrest and according to investigators was ?not cooperating? in the initial days after his arrest on November 19, 2010.
He was under solitary confinement at the Chanchalagudda Jail in Hyderabad. An estimated 70 per cent of the jail inmates are Muslim. It was here that Aseemanand came in touch with Khaleem.
Sources said Khaleem was ?very kind and helpful? to Aseemanand who had been kept under solitary confinement in Chanchalagudda Jail. Authorities said they feared that Aseemanand might get roughed up but Khaleem used to read aloud from the newspapers about reports in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case and also provide him with warm water to drink and share his home food with him.?