AnnoyingOrange
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In an important development in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, Pakistan, which has accused India of going slow in the case, has sought 4 months time from National Investigation Agency (NIA) for sending 13 Pakistani nationals to Panchkula court.
This came after New Delhi had handed over to Islamabad summons issued by a special NIA court to 13 Pakistanis for deposing as witnesses on March 17. Sixty-eight people were charred to death in the blasts in two coaches of Samjhauta Express in Panipat on February 18, 2007.
The Pakistani witnesses were required to attend the trail court at Panchkula in Haryana from July 4 onwards. All 13 are said to be passengers of the ill fated train.
The trial in this case is in the advanced stage. Court proceedings regarding 279 witnesses have been completed out of a total of 299 witnesses. At least 17 witnesses have made a U Turn. But Pakistan's reluctance to send witnesses is seen with suspicion. Pakistan on more than one occasion has blamed India of going slow on Samjhauta Express blast investigations.
A top officer said, "It's important to bring closure to the process of deposition. The Pakistani witnesses are part of the legal process. The case resumes on July 4. We will inform the court. And duly send a reminder to Pakistan later."
"Pakistan should not indulge in blame game when it is itself going slow. This will be significant as there is suspicion that Pakistan may raise further hue and cry if the trial verdict does not go their way," said a senior officer.
This comes even as doubts about the probe were raised by Central government over alleged botched up of investigation. The disclosure was made by Gurdeep Singh, who was the first investigating officer (IO) assigned to probe the Samjhauta blasts of 2007. He said that Pakistani citizens arrested by Indian authorities were discharged within 14 days even though they were suspects.
INVESTIGATION RIGHT ON TRACK
According to the investigating officer's statement, Pakistani citizen Ajmat Ali was identified by an eyewitness as the possible planter, but was freed within 14 days after preliminary quizzing. The case was taken over from Haryana Police and handed over to NIA. The investigators however negate the theory of botch up and believe their investigation is right on track.
Initially in investigation, SIMI activists were believed to be behind the blast, but later it turned out to be the handiwork of a group having right-wing leanings.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against several people, including Swami Aseemanand, who recently walked free in the Ajmer Dargah blast case. It had on June 20, 2011 filed the chargesheet before the special court at Panchkula under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against five accused persons, namely, Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji.
The case pertains to the criminal conspiracy which resulted in bomb blasts in the Attari Express (Samjhauta) train near Panipat. The investigation conducted by the NIA over a period of almost one year established that the entire conspiracy was hatched between 2005 and 2007 by Aseemanand, Joshi and their associates like Ramji, Sandeep Dange, Lokesh Sharma and others at different places including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The NIA investigation further brought out that Aseemanand was quite upset with the jihadi/terrorist attacks on temples - Akshardham (Gujarat), Raghunath Mandir (Jammu) and Sankat Mochan Mandir (Varanasi). He used to "give vent to" his feelings while discussing it with Joshi and his associates. As a result, Aseemanand propounded a "bomb ka badla bomb" theory, according to NIA. Aseemanand is currently out on bail.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/...tani-witnesses-swami-aseemanand/1/992365.html
This came after New Delhi had handed over to Islamabad summons issued by a special NIA court to 13 Pakistanis for deposing as witnesses on March 17. Sixty-eight people were charred to death in the blasts in two coaches of Samjhauta Express in Panipat on February 18, 2007.
The Pakistani witnesses were required to attend the trail court at Panchkula in Haryana from July 4 onwards. All 13 are said to be passengers of the ill fated train.
The trial in this case is in the advanced stage. Court proceedings regarding 279 witnesses have been completed out of a total of 299 witnesses. At least 17 witnesses have made a U Turn. But Pakistan's reluctance to send witnesses is seen with suspicion. Pakistan on more than one occasion has blamed India of going slow on Samjhauta Express blast investigations.
A top officer said, "It's important to bring closure to the process of deposition. The Pakistani witnesses are part of the legal process. The case resumes on July 4. We will inform the court. And duly send a reminder to Pakistan later."
"Pakistan should not indulge in blame game when it is itself going slow. This will be significant as there is suspicion that Pakistan may raise further hue and cry if the trial verdict does not go their way," said a senior officer.
This comes even as doubts about the probe were raised by Central government over alleged botched up of investigation. The disclosure was made by Gurdeep Singh, who was the first investigating officer (IO) assigned to probe the Samjhauta blasts of 2007. He said that Pakistani citizens arrested by Indian authorities were discharged within 14 days even though they were suspects.
INVESTIGATION RIGHT ON TRACK
According to the investigating officer's statement, Pakistani citizen Ajmat Ali was identified by an eyewitness as the possible planter, but was freed within 14 days after preliminary quizzing. The case was taken over from Haryana Police and handed over to NIA. The investigators however negate the theory of botch up and believe their investigation is right on track.
Initially in investigation, SIMI activists were believed to be behind the blast, but later it turned out to be the handiwork of a group having right-wing leanings.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against several people, including Swami Aseemanand, who recently walked free in the Ajmer Dargah blast case. It had on June 20, 2011 filed the chargesheet before the special court at Panchkula under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against five accused persons, namely, Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji.
The case pertains to the criminal conspiracy which resulted in bomb blasts in the Attari Express (Samjhauta) train near Panipat. The investigation conducted by the NIA over a period of almost one year established that the entire conspiracy was hatched between 2005 and 2007 by Aseemanand, Joshi and their associates like Ramji, Sandeep Dange, Lokesh Sharma and others at different places including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The NIA investigation further brought out that Aseemanand was quite upset with the jihadi/terrorist attacks on temples - Akshardham (Gujarat), Raghunath Mandir (Jammu) and Sankat Mochan Mandir (Varanasi). He used to "give vent to" his feelings while discussing it with Joshi and his associates. As a result, Aseemanand propounded a "bomb ka badla bomb" theory, according to NIA. Aseemanand is currently out on bail.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/...tani-witnesses-swami-aseemanand/1/992365.html
