Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Malegaon blast ’08: Samjhauta suspect held


Lokesh Sharma, above, is accused in various blast cases across the country


Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested suspected RSS worker Lokesh Sharma, an accused in the Samjhauta Express blast, in connection with the 2008 Malegaon explosion that killed seven.

Sharma, who was arrested on Sunday, was first held in 2011 and booked for his alleged role in the Ajmer dargah blast and later in the Samjhauta train blast case.

His name cropped up while the police began interrogating other accused arrested in the Samjhauta train blast case that had resulted in the deaths of around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis.

“He was produced before the court and remanded in police custody till March 9. We cannot disclose about his role in the blast at this juncture,” said special public prosecutor Rohini Salian.


The Times of India, February 28, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

NIA probing Samjhauta suspect role



Samjhauta train bomb planter, Kamal Chauhan

MALEGAON BLAST

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai
: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Samjhauta train blast case, is now questioning prime suspect Kamal Chauhan to see if he was involved in the 2006 Malegaon mosque blasts that killed 31 people.

Chauhan, an RSS worker who was arrested by the NIA three days ago, has confessed that he had planted bombs on the Samjhauta Express in 2007 after undergoing training in arms and explosives in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, the agency claimed. Chauhan has been remanded in NIA custody till February 24 for questioning.

Chauhan, along with Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji and Lokesh Sharma, other accused in the case, planted the explosives on the train at Old Delhi. NIA’s special prosecutor R K Handa said. “Ramji is still wanted in the 2006 Malegaon bombing case. The NIA is now quizzing Chauhan to find out if he was aware about the others who had participated in the bombing conspiracy in July 2006,” said a source.

Sources in the security establishment said right-wing groups had planned to carry out their strike in Malegaon during July 2006, two months prior to the serial blasts in the same town. However the perpetrators’ plan did not materialize and the bombs were planted in September, 2006.

“Four RDX bombs exploded on September 8, 2006 killing 38 and injuring 297 others. Our probe has revealed that deceased RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi had visited Malegaon to do a a recce of the Hameediya mosque,” said a source.



The Times of India,February 16, 2012