Samjhauta incident: Shadow of doubt on investigating agencies
It has been twelve years since 68 people died in Samjhauta express blast. National Investigation Agency has carried out a long inquiry and acquitted the main accused Swami Aseemanand. What does this mean? How did the 68 people die? Who has to answer this question?
Everybody knows Swami Aseemanand and three other accused have Sangh Parivar background. Aseemananda had even given a confession statement on this case. Now he has been acquitted. Prosecution has failed to prove the charges levelled against him, the court said. About 8 people were accused in this case and one among them was killed. Three have disappeared. Another four people have been acquitted. But the investigating agency has no answer as to who I responsible for the death of 68 people.
Most of the people who died in this are Pakistan citizens. Communal elements had been opposing this train that connected two countries and hence planted a bomb in this locomotive that stood as a symbol of peace, and love. The communal elements wouldn’t ever tolerate two countries existing in peace with each other. It’s very evident that communal elements in both countries are behind this massacre.
Swami Aseemananda, an RSS activist is not an ordinary man. He was accused in Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and Ajmer Dargah blast cases too. He has been acquitted in those as well. Prosecution has said long ago that Aseemanand was the Hindutva extremist mastermind who avenged the 2002 Akshar Dham temple attack. Swami Aseemanand himself had given a long statement about saffron terror and retracted his words later. Haryana police had investigated the case and then it was handed over to NIA.
But after Modi assumed the PM’s chair in 2014, there have been criticisms about NIA’s handling of the case under NDA rule. Some people turned hostile and the prosecution failed to defend charges. The failure of prosecution is very evident in Samjhauta express case that was bound to derail the talks of peace between India and Pakistan. Looks like prosecution came under the influence of central government or political pressure. Whatever be the case, a transparent inquiry needs to be carried into the bomb explosion case that killed 68 persons and those responsible for this evil incident have to be brought to book. Else people will begin to doubt the diligence of investigating agencies.
Rational thinkers such as Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Dr M M Kalburgi cases have also not seen great progress in bringing the culprits to the book. Investigating agencies have been given earful in case of Pansare murder by Mumbai High Court. Since the then CM Siddaramaiah handed over the investigation of Gauri Lankesh’s murder to SIT, things have progressed well. Everywhere BJP is in power, there are charges that the party even protects those people who spread unrest in the name of religion.
More than 2000 people died in Gujarat massacre and the investigation of this incident is far from satisfactory. Even now a lot of accused are walking around scot-free. People lose faith on law and order when such things happen. Criminal, fascists and such elements have entered all levels of administration. They pose a challenge to constitutional duties. Hence all citizens need to chase them out of constitutional institutions.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
