Rajasthan ATS takes custody of Swami Aseemanand

Ajmer (Rajasthan), Jan 22(ANI): The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Rajasthan on Saturday took Samjhauta Express train blast accused Swami Aseemanand in its custody in connection with the 2007 Ajmer Dargah attack case.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ajmer had issued a production warrant against Aseemanand on January 18, and the ATS has now brought him from the custody of National Investigation Agency in Panchkula, Haryana.

"According to the production warrant I was told to bring him from the Ambala jail and produce him before the court here. I have been given the orders to arrest him and now I'll begin with the interrogation," said S.S. Ranavat, Rajasthan ATS official.

Earlier on January 18, Ajmer court had issued a production warrant against Aseemanand.

Aseemanand is an accused in the Ajmer Dargah, blast in which a bomb had exploded just after evening prayers on October 11, 2007, at the famed Sufi shrine, resulting in the deaths of three and injuries to 17 others.

Panchkula court had earlier on January 15 recorded Aseemanand's statement in connection with the Samjhauta case.

The blast in the Indo-Pak train in Panipat district had left 68 people dead in February 2007.

Aseemanand was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on November 19 last year for his alleged involvement in Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad that left nine persons dead.

His name had also come up during the probe in Malegaon blast of 2008 when Maharashtra's ATS recovered the number of the Swami's driver from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, another Abhinav Bharat member and an accused arrested in Malegaon case. (ANI)