New Delhi, March 21: With the Special NIA Court acquitted Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand and three others – Lokesh Sharma, Kamal Chauhan and Rajinder Chaudhary – in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, the controversy over the ‘complicity’ and the procedure followed by NIA officials gained momentum. Former IPS Vikash Narain Rai – who cracked the case – while holding the NIA officials accountable for the release of accused questioned the central probing agency’s ‘complicity’.

Claiming that the acquittals were bound to happen, the 1977-batch IPS officer alleged that the entire prosecution was trying to bury the case. Rai said that he could claim this as his team was probing the matter and traced the bag used in the blasts to a market in Indore. He even questioned NIA’s probe in similar cases – 2007 Ajmer shrine, Mecca Masjid, and Malegaon blasts. Adding more, he opined that all these cases are interlinked and done by the same group of people. Samjhauta Blast Case: Swami Aseemanand, 3 Others Acquitted by NIA Court. 

The former director-general of law and order, Haryana Police, slammed NIA for not presenting the evidence at the court that could have prevented the acquittals. Rai said, as reported by the Indian Express, “The agency (NIA) should be held accountable as how these acquittals (in Mecca Masjid, Ajmer and Samjhauta) happened. Whatever evidence they (NIA) collected and witnesses’ statements against the accused, clearly the evidence and witnesses did not stand up in court and support their (NIA’s) story.”

Adding more disappointment to the NIA, the former IPS said, as the daily reports: “If you (NIA) had any different set of evidence at your disposal, you should have brought it to the court’s notice. I don’t think that has been done. It all shows the agency’s (NIA’s) complicity. They have clearly botched up their investigations. If you are not going for appeal (against acquittals), it means you are not sure about your own case. And if you are not sure about your own case, then why are you (NIA) not filing a supplementary chargesheet?”

Rai further claimed that though the case has gone for years, NIA is responsible for prosecution as there has been no change in the stand of the investigating agency. Also, NIA still maintains that those – arrested and charged – are accused, and the agency has not changed their line of investigations even after the government changed and (the agency’s) director-general changed, adds Rai.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Biseria rejected Pakistan assertions and reminded them to take actions against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), responsible for Pulwama terror attacks. The following development came after Pakistan summoned the Indian High Commissioner to register a strong protest and condemnation on the acquittals of Samjhauta Express blast case. Samjhauta Blast Case: Indian High Commissioner Rejects Pakistan’s Assertions on Assemanand’s Acquittal, Says 'Take Action on JeM Terrorists First'. 

Due to the blast, 43 Pakistan citizens, 10 Indian citizens and 15 unidentified people were killed. Though 64 out of the total killed were civil passengers, four railways officials were also killed in the blast. Twelve people were also injured, and a number of coaches were burnt.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2019 04:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).