The National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a significant breakthrough in the Samjhauta train blast case arrested one person, identified as Kamal Chauhan, on late Sunday night. Chauhan is said to be one of the persons who planted the briefcases loaded with explosives on the ill fated train. Highly-placed NIA sources said Chauhan, along with the key suspect in the blast case Sunil Joshi, had procured the two suitcases used in the twin blasts in the train from a shop in Indore.
NIA sources also claimed that they had kept Chauhan, who is also a resident of Indore, under surveillance for the last few days following a specific tip-off. The NIA so far is extremely tightlipped about the arrest as it will produce Chauhan in court here on Monday.
But sources within the investigative confirmed to this newspaper that Chauhan, along with Joshi, was one of the main conspirators of the Samjahuta blast that killed as many as 70 people. The NIA during its investigations also claimed that the blast was the handiwork of saffron terror outfits, specially after the arrest of Swami Asimanand in the case.
Three other key suspects — Sandeep Dange, Ramchandra Kalsangra and Ashok, alias Ashwini Chauhan — are still on the run on whom the NIA has announced a reward ranging from `2 to `10 lakhs.
Officials involved with the investigations are optimistic that Chauhan’s custodial interrogation will provide them vital leads on the Samjahuta blast case, particularly about three missing accused persons and the sources of the explosives. It was largely suspected that RDX has been used in the blast as some traces were found in the twin explosions.
Similar explosives were used in a number of other blasts across the country, even in Malegao, raising suspicion that the same terror network was responsible for these blasts.