In a major setback to the prosecution, a city court on Thursday acquitted two persons, accused in 2005 Diwali-eve serial blasts case which had claimed 67 lives. The court while acquitting the accused stated that the prosecution has failed to prove their guilt.
Investigations by the Delhi Police had then found that Tariq Ahmed Dar had allegedly hatched a conspiracy with the lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) terrorists to plan and carry out the bomb blasts in the national Capital.
Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh acquitted Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Mohammad Hussain Fazli of all the charges. However, he held the third accused, Tariq Ahmed Dar, guilty of being a member of a terror outfit and giving support to it, but let him off too, saying he has already undergone more than ten years in jail, which is the maximum punishment prescribed under the law for these offences.
Dar was convicted for the offence punishable under Section 38 (being the member of a terror organisation) and Section 39 (giving support to such outfit) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Farooq Ahmad Batloo and Ghulam Ahmad Khan had earlier pleaded guilty and were let off by the court for the period already undergone by them. Terror funding was the allegation against both these accused.
Three separate cases were registered by Delhi Police’s Special Cell following the blasts. The court had clubbed all the three cases for the purpose of recording of evidence.
As per the prosecution, Dar, along with Abu Ozefa, Abu Al Kama, Rashid, Sazid Ali and Zahid, had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to wage a war against the country and planned serial blasts.
All these five co-accused are still at large and are said to be in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
It may be recalled that the national Capital was rocked by serial blasts on October, 29, 2005. The blasts had taken place in highly crowded Paharganj and Sarojini Nagar markets and the third was placed in a DTC bus near Govindpuri. The blasts had claimed 67 innocent lives and over 225 persons were injured. Some of them survived the injuries but were maimed for life.
These serial blasts were the most deadly ones as the casualty was very high. Before these serial blasts 13 people were killed and over 81 were injured in a blast that had taken place in Pushpa Market (lajpat Nagar) on 21 May 1996.
Security agencies and Delhi Police had carried out a nationwide raids to arrest those involved in the blasts but they could not build a tight case against the conspirators as the main players were never arrested, said a police officer who was part of the probe.