Samjhauta case: Aseemanand denies knowing Kamal Chauhan

Panchkula (Haryana): Samjhauta train bombing case accused Aseemanand today denied knowing Kamal Chauhan, a disgruntled RSS worker arrested by the NIA in connection with the case, even as a court here turned down the probe agency’s plea to remand another suspect to police custody.

“I don’t know Kamal Chauhan,” Aseemanand told reporters outside the special NIA court here.

Aseemanand, who had earlier pleaded he was not involved in the bombings, when asked if he knew Chauhan, claimed he did not know him. “It’s a conspiracy of the NIA,” he alleged.

NIA’s Special Prosecutor RK Handa said as NIA’s Special Judge Subhash Mehla was on leave, another court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanchan Mahi adjourned the hearing of the case to 7 March.

Meanwhile, Handa, along with Special Public Prosecutor of NIA, Rajan Malhotra, had moved an application seeking custody of another accused Lokesh Sharma, who is currently lodged in judicial custody, but the plea was declined by the court.

“We wanted to take his remand on the ground that during interrogation of Kamal Chauhan, it was revealed that Lokesh Sharma is involved in playing a key role in the (Samjhauta bombing) conspiracy by conducting demonstration and training of IEDs at Bagli, Dewas in MP,” he said.

According to NIA, Sharma was allegedly involved in procurement of explosive material and preparation of electronic devices to execute the crime.

“NIA felt that Lokesh’s detailed interrogation was necessary to identify the places from where the explosives were procured and also for the recovery of the incriminating material… the application has been declined (by the court).

We are yet to get the order copy,” he said.

After his arrest from Noida, Chauhan had on 14 February claimed he had planted bombs on board Samjhauta Express in 2007 that left 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.

PTI