Panaji, Nov 11 (IANS) The Goa police Wednesday arrested another right-wing Hindu group Sanatan Sanstha (SS) member, an electronic engineer, for the Diwali eve blast in Goa, officials said.
The accused, Dhananjay Ashtekar, 20, is a Ratnagiri-based engineer, police claim, and worked in tandem with other SS associates who had planned to detonate gelatin sticks amidst festive Diwali crowds in various places throughout Goa Oct 16.

“Dhananjay Ashtekar was called to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) office for interrogation. He was arrested after he confessed to his role in the blast conspiracy,” a police official said.

Ashtekar’s arrest takes the total number of arrests in the Goa blast case to three. Vinay Talekar and Vinayak Patil, both SS associates, were arrested by the SIT nearly a week after the blast.

Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, who died in the explosion while carrying detonator-rigged gelatin sticks, were also SS associates, according to police.

Ashtekar has been remanded to 12 days police custody.