Ajmer: NIA frames charges against two

The agency filed the chargesheet at a special CBI court in Jaipur which has now been designated as NIA court

The National Investigation Agency NIA on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against two accused in connection with the Ajmer blast of 2007 that killed three people and left more than two dozen injured.

The agency filed the chargesheet at a special CBI court in Jaipur which has now been designated as NIA court. A fortnight ago,the NIA had taken over the case.

In the 700-page chargesheet,including annexures,the agency said accused Mukesh Vasani allegedly procured and planted the bomb at the dargah.

The second accused,Harshad Solanki,was also allegedly involved in procuring the bomb assembled at slain RSS activist Sunil Joshis house in Dewas,the NIA said. The NIA has also named four local youths who were part of the plan. They have not been arrested so far and the agency said it was investigating their role.

Solanki and Vasani were arrested in November last year and charged under various sections of the IPC,UAPA Act and Explosive Act. The NIA team headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Arvind Negi filed the chargesheet in court as none of the accused were present during proceedings.

Appearing for the NIA,public prosecutor R B Sharma said,The NIA filed a chargesheet against Harshad Solanki and Mukesh Vasani,who were arrested in November last year,on Thursday. Sharma said the trial would now proceed in Jaipur following a state government order in March.

NIA officials said that the chargesheet against Swami Aseemanand,also arrested in the same case,would be presented in the near future.

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Considered a major catch,the CBI arrested Aseemanand from Hardwar in November. After a controversial confession to the CBI about his involvement in a series of blast cases,Aseemanand did a volte-face,claiming he was forced to confess.

Recently,Aseemanand filed an application in a court in Ajmer,saying that he did not wish to turn approver for the government and that the police were threatening him and his family.

Solanki,arrested on November 2 from Gujarat,was also wanted in connection with the Best Bakery case in Vadodara,in which a mob killed 14 people in the violent aftermath of the 2002 Godhra carnage.

According to probe officials,Solanki got in touch with Sunil Joshi,considered the brain behind the Ajmer blast,in 2006 and remained in close contact till Joshi was murdered in December 2007.