Court frames charges against 35 accused in the transistor bomb cas

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) After two decades, a city court today, finally framed charges against all the 35 accused in the 1985 transistor bomb blasts that killed 69 people and injured 127 in the capital.

Patiala House Court Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vinod Kumar, framed charges against 35 accused after hearing the arguments of both the prosecution and the defence, Justice Kumar charged them under sections 302 (Murder), 307 (Attempt to murder), 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 153-A (Promoting enmity between classes) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

''This is a significant development in the trial,'' the investigating officer said.

The court had earlier acquitted five - Jagir Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, Paramjit Singh, Shahid Singh and Surjit Kaur - of all charges on the grounds that ''the material on the judicial file was not sufficient to frame charges against these accused people under any offence''.

However, the remaining accused, of whom at least four have died while the rest are out on bail, continue to wait and watch.

Over 50 people were named in the case registered in 1985, with the Patel Nagar Police Station in west Delhi, according to which the main conspirator of the blasts was Delhi-based income tax lawyer Kartar Singh Narang, who died few years back.

The prosecution said Narang and his accomplices M S Oberoi and M S Khalsa (also deceased) planted bombs disguised as transistors to avenge the killings of Sikhs in and around Delhi in the 1984 riots that erupted after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted a raid at Narang's house on May 12, 1985, and arrested him along with Oberoi and Khalsa for their ''involvement in unlawful activities'', the prosecution said.

The case has witnessed nine FIRs, 14 chargesheets and a score of judges and lawyers.

UNI XC PR KN1905