Court seeks opinion of complainant on NIA’s probe closure report

JAIPUR: A special court here said on Monday that it wants to hear the opinion of the complainant in the Ajmer dargah (shrine) blast case before deciding on the closure report filed by NIA.

The agency had on April 3 filed a closure report in the court, clearing Sadhvi Pragya Singh, senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, and two others of all involvement in October 2007 blast that killed three and wounded 17.

On Monday, the court said it wants to hear the complainant Syed Sarwar Chishti’s remarks on the report before deciding whether it will accept it or not.

Pragya Singh was accused of being a member of Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu extremist outfit allegedly floated by military officer Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. Indresh Kumar was also known to be associated with it.

The court on April 3 had also issued notices to Kozhikode collector, Kerala chief secretary, and Indore collector, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for failing to respond to earlier notices seeking information about the properties of three absconders in the case—Suresh Nair, Sandeep Dange and Ram Chandra Kalsangra.

On Monday, the court expressed its strong disapproval against the officials for failing to furnish information despite repeated orders.

Justice Dinesh Gupta had also asked the NIA director general to file a report on the efforts made to arrest the three absconders.

The court had on March 8 found RSS members Sunil Joshi and Devendra Gupta guilty of planning the blast and Bhavesh Bhai Patel of planting the explosive. It, however, acquitted former RSS member Aseemanand and six others in the case.