The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday framed charges against Swami Aseemanand and three others for their alleged involvement in Samjhauta blast case.
The NIA counsel, RK Handa, said that 18 charges have been framed against Aseemanand and three co accused lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Pehlwan, under various Sections. The Sections invoked against them are 120 B (criminal conspiracy), read with 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means), 327 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort property), 124 A (sedition or act for community hatred), 438 (punishment for the mischief described in section) and 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt) of IPC, Sections 150, 151 and 152 of the Railways Act, Section 3,4 and 6 of Explosives Substances Act 1908, Sections 3 and 4 of Prevention Damage of Public Property Act, Section 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 23 of the Un-lawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Assemanand and another accused were booked by the NIA in the Samjhauta Express blast case, in which 68 people were killed near Panipat town in Haryana in February 2007. Handa said trial will initiate against all these accused under above charges in the respective court.
Earlier, on June 20, 2011, the NIA had filed the chargesheet against Aseemanand, lokesh Sharma and three others — Sandeep Dange, Ramchandra Kalasangra and Sunil Joshi. Dange and Ramchandra are absconding, while Joshi is now dead. NIA had submitted that Aseemanand was the mastermind of the blasts and instigated others to carry out the terrorist act. Aseemanand is presently lodged in Amabala jail. Now other witnesses including complainant of this case, driver of the Railway and other officials from the Railway have been summoned on next hearing of the case on Feb 24 and 25.