To expedite investigation in “Hindu terror” cases, the Centre has decided to opt for “video-conferencing’’ of accused persons whose linkages are surfacing in more than one case. These involve Hindu extremists whose names have surfaced in terror cases such as the Ajmer, Mecca Masjid, Malegaon and Samjhauta blasts, which are being probed by different agencies.
Recently, Swami Assemanand, who is an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case, confessed to his role in the 2007 Samjhauta blasts when he was produced in front of a magistrate by the NIA on January 16. Since the same group is believed to have carried out the Ajmer blast, the Rajasthan ATS has expressed its keenness to question Aseemanand.
Home ministry sources said that investigation agencies like the NIA, CBI, Rajasthan ATS and Maharashtra ATS will be allowed to hold trials through video-conferencing once charges are framed against the accused in court.
“The agencies have been facing problem in coordinating among themselves since many accused are common in all four cases. We have decided to allow video-conferencing during trials to save them trouble of physically transporting the accused persons to courts spread across states,” a top government official said.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha pracharak Devender Gupta and his accomplice Lokesh Sharma are accused in both Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blast cases. Fresh invesitgation by the NIA has thrown up the name of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur in the Samjhauta blast conspiracy. The common thread in the four terror blast cases has further been corroborated by Assemanand who has told the NIA that he had regular meetings with Sunil Joshi, Pragya Thakur, Sandeep Dange, Ramji Kalsangra, Lokesh Sharma and Amit. In one such meeting in June 2006, Aseemanand and his group planned the Malegaon, Ajmer and Samjhauta blasts.
The government’s move is expected to help join the dots and expedite the ongoing investigation of the NIA into the Samjhauta blast case, the CBI’s investigation of the Mecca Masjid blast and the Maharashtra and Rajasthan ATS which is probing the Malegaon and Ajmer cases respectively.