Rajasthan ATS files 806-page chargesheet in 2007 Ajmer blast case

Ajmer, Oct.23 (ANI): The Rajasthan Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has filed an 806-page charge sheet in the 2007 Ajmer blast case and accused Devender Gupta, allegedly linked to a radical group Abhinav Bharat, Chandrashekhar and Lokesh in the incident.

All are already under arrest.

The Rajasthan ATS, has reportedly levelled a number of sensational claims in its chargesheet that was filed on Friday in a local Ajmer court.

According to the 806-page chargesheet, the conspiracy for the blast was headed by Swami Sananand, who arranged meetings in Jammu, Indore and Ujjain.

The conspiracy to plant bombs in Ajmer and several other cities of India was hatched at the Gujarati Samaj guest house on Jaipur's MI Road.

The ATS has claimed in its report that the secret meeting, held on October 31, 2005 was allegedly attended by several leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including its Pracharak Indresh Kumar.

The chargesheet claims that an organisation called "Jai Vande Matram", founded by one of the accused Sunil Joshi, planned and executed the Ajmer dargah blast on October 11, 2007.

Joshi was killed near Mhow in Madhya Pradesh two months after the blast.

Jai Vande Matram, according to the ATS, was formed by extremists to hit back at Muslim terror groups operating in the country.

The chargesheet states that investigations against Ramdeen, Sandeep Dangre and others is on. The three accused named in the chargesheet have been booked under Sections 302, 307, 323, 295 A (explosive Act), 201 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code.

The next hearing in the case would be held on October 26. The ATS produced Chandrashekhar in court, while Devender and Lokesh are in Hyderabad for interrogations related to the Mecca Masjid blast.

However, the local leaders of the RSS view it as a conspiracy to defame their organisation by the Congress ruled State Government.

"We were already suspecting this. The state government wants to defame the RSS. That is why they are attaching the name of RSS leaders with such activities," said Sanjay, the Kshetriya Prachaar Pramukh of RSS.

On the question of Kumar attending the meeting with Sunil Joshi, Pragya Thakur and others in October 2005, he sought to clarify by stating: "Indresh Kumarji is a senior leader and Jaipur is the centre of his activities. He has attended lots of meetings here," he said.

The 806-page chargesheet was filed after tracking the accused for three years and 178 days of investigation.

"The chargesheet contains minutes of our investigation and the names of 132 witnesses whose statements were recorded during the investigation," said Satyender Singh Ranawat, additional Superintendent of Police and enquiry officer in the case.

The chargesheet also indicates at the involvement of Abhinav Bharat and mentions that Swami Sananand was in contact with Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and Shrikant Purohit the Malegaon blast accused.

"The main work of Joshi was to network for the mission," said ATS. Joshi trusted Devender as they worked together in Madhya Pradesh and they choose Ajmer dargah Sharif as a target.

As per records, two bombs were planted in the dargah with timers attached to mobile phones. One of these remained unexploded and was found next day by the local police. "The SIM of this unexploded bomb was taken to the FSL and it was found that the same number was saved in other telephones of the accused as Vande Matram," Timesnow quoted the report.

According to advocates, the CJM court where the chargesheet is filed on Friday will transfer the case to session court as initiating trial in the sections which are framed against the accused is not in the jurisdiction of magistrate. (ANI)