NIA draws blank in search for accused in Delhi HC blast case

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National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Delhi High Court blast of September 7, has drawn a blank in its search for three accused in Kishtawar despite carrying out searches at various places.

An NIA team has been camping in Kishtawar town and other higher reaches of Marwah, Warwan and Dachchan for the three wanted in the case -- Junaid Akram, Amir Kamal and Sheik Shakeel alias Chota Shakeel -- but has not met with any success, official sources said.

The NIA was not sharing its intelligence with the local police but only seeking its help in cordon and search operations, the sources said.

The local police had lost one of its Special Police Officers last week in such an operation when an information about presence of Jehangir was reported from one such area, the sources said, adding that the information was not corroborated properly and it was a virtual trap laid by terrorists in which the SPO was killed.

While there have been intercepts about the presence of three wanted militants in the higher reaches of this area, neither the state agencies nor the central agencies had any information about their presence in the Kishtawar town or its outskirts, as claimed by the NIA.

The NIA team was also meeting the relatives of Junaid Akram to press upon him to surrender, the sources said.

The NIA has already announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of these people.

Junaid's brother Wasim Akram, a medical student, is already under arrest. He is alleged to be one of the masterminds in the blast that left 15 people dead and dozens other injured.

Wasim's questioning had raised doubts about the confessional statement of accused Aamir Abbas Dev, who claimed that he had seen the bombers of the terror incident along with Wasim.

However, Wasim has denied having any knowledge about the same. The NIA may also approach court for conducting lie-detector, brain-mapping and other tests on Wasim.