New Delhi, 28 August 2014

Swami Aseemanand, an accused in Samjhauta Express blast case has been granted bail by Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Shri Aseemanand’s ashram is situated in Christian Missionary gripped tribal Dang district in Gujarat. Aseemananda had started active movement against alleged forceful conversion of tribal people to Christian faith.

Aseemanand was arrested by the Congress-led UPA government controlled agency Central Bureau of Investigation Nov 19, 2010, from Haridwar.

The NIA later said that it has evidence against Aseemanand and others for criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, sedition and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and various sections of the Explosive Substances Act, Railways Act, Damage to Public Property Act, and Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act.

The charge sheet in the case was filed in 2011, four years after the bombing attack took place.

The NIA had questioned Aseemanand about his role in the Samjhauta Express train blasts Feb 18, 2007, at Diwana village near the industrial town of Panipat. The suitcase bombing took place in two coaches of the train.

A total of 68 people, a majority of them Pakistani nationals, lost their lives in the Samjhauta blast.

The train was going from Delhi to Attari, the last station on the Indian side. The passengers were to board the Samjhauta Express train, a twice-a-week peace train between India and Pakistan, to Lahore city in Pakistan the next day (Feb 19).

Suggested reading: Why Swami Aseemananda is being hounded