Capping four years of probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday charged Swami Aseemanand and four others with triggering explosions in the cross-border Samjhauta Express in 2007 that left 68 people dead.
In the charge sheet filed before the special court here, the NIA accused Aseemanand, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji of hatching a criminal conspiracy which resulted in bomb blasts in the Samjhauta Express near Panipat on February 18, 2007. Majority of those killed in the blast were Pakistanis.
The NIA investigation has brought out that Aseemanand was quite upset with the Jehadi/terrorist attacks on Akshardham temples in Gujarat, Raghunath temple in Jammu and Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi.
“He used to “give vent to” his feelings while discussing with Sunil Joshi and his associates. Over a period of time, they developed a deep vengeance against not only the “Jehadi” terrorists but unfortunately against an entire minority community as such.
“As a result, Aseemanand propounded a “bomb ka badla bomb” (bomb for bomb) theory. Samjhauta train was particularly chosen, as most of the passengers who travel in it are Pakistani citizens. Aseemanand not only provided financial and logistical support to the terror group which executed this dastardly act but also played a vital role in instigating and motivating his associates to undertake this terrorist act,” the NIA chargesheet said.
The bi-weekly Samjhauta Express, which runs between Delhi and Lahore, plays a vital role in improving people-to-people contacts between India and Pakistan.