Samjhauta Express blasts: NIA not to challenge bail to Assemanand

New Delhi: The NIA has decided not to challenge the bail granted to Swami Aseemanand, the main accused in Samjhauta Express blasts case, in which 68 persons were killed.

"The Punjab and Haryana High Court passed an order on August 28, 2014 granting bail to one of the accused Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand subject to certain conditions.

"The written order dated May 1, 2015 of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was received by the NIA on May 5, 2015, which was examined by the NIA in consultation with their legal division," Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in Rajya Sabha.

In written reply to a question, Chaudhary said it was decided by the NIA not to file SLP in the Supreme Court against the order dated August 28, 2014 of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, since in their opinion, there were no legal grounds to challenge the order.

"However, the accused, Naba Kumar Sarkar continues to be in jail since he is also an accused in the Ajmer blast case, in which he has not been granted bail. Further, he has not complied with the bail conditions prescribed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and continues to be in judicial custody in the Samjhauta Express blasts case also," he said.

Two bomb blasts occurred in the Delhi-Lahore Samjhauta Express train near Panipat on February 18, 2007 in which 68 persons were killed and 12 others were injured.

"The case was initially investigated by the Haryana Police and subsequently transferred to the NIA on July 26, 2010 for further investigation. The NIA, after thorough investigation, filed a charge sheet against a total number of eight accused persons," he said.