2007 Samjhauta Express blast: One more eyewitness in case turns hostile

One more prosecution witness in the 2007 Samjhauta Express train bomb blast case turned hostile Friday before the Panchkula Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court, taking the number of total hostile witnesses to 15.

The blast had occurred near Dewana railway station in Panipat district of Haryana, killing 68 people, mostly from Pakistan, and injuring 12 on the intervening night of February 18 and 19, 2007. The train was on its way to Lahore.
On Friday, three witnesses — advocate Deep Bhatia of New Delhi, Dr. Rahat Abrar and Pradeep Saxena of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh — appeared before the trial court. While Abrar and Saxena stood by their earlier statements given to the NIA, advocate Deep Bhatia turned hostile.

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Bhatia, who was earlier the BJP president of Faridabad unit and also vice president of National Rifle Association of India, had said one RSS leader named Alok had recommended 4-5 candidates, including Kamal Chauhan and Rajender Chaudhary, to him for arms training at the Karni shooting range before the train blast. Being a shooter himself, he used to take care of the shooting practice at Karni shooting range in Faridabad. But on Friday before the special NIA court he refused having given any such statement.

The case has now been posted for hearing to October 3.