Samjhauta Express blast: ‘Probe into LeT angle aimed at ruling out its possibility’

The NIA has already chargesheeted Swami Aseemanand and four other right-wing activists in the case and a trial is on at Panchkula court in Haryana.

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During his 14-day visit, Kumar is likely to meet officials from the US department of justice and the US legal attache, besides other officials. The team will discuss the intelligence input shared by the US on Kasmani with regard to the blast.

Home Ministry officials on Monday chose to downplay the development, saying that it was only to bolster the existing case. “The NIA had sought the ministry’s permission to go to US on the grounds that the defence might bring up the intelligence input on Kasmani’s involvement and try to use it in the favour of Aseemanand. Hence, the agency said, it was important to test the authenticity of the input. The NIA said that the angle had not been investigated thoroughly and the defence might use it,” said a ministry official.

The timing of the visit, however, is interesting as the NIA never felt the need to revisit the case in the past six years.

In 2010, the US had put Kasmani under UN sanctions and shared intelligence with India that he could be the financier of the Samjhauta blast.