Author: Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: March 13, 2012
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi-hc-blast-a-retaliation-to-afzal-guru-death-sentence-nia/923272/0

The National Investigation Agency told a court today that terrorists exploded a bomb in the Delhi High Court last year with the sole aim to get Parliament attacker Afzal Guru's death sentence commuted.

In a 1,062-page chargesheet filed before District Judge H S Sharma during an in-camera hearing, NIA said two Pakistani nationals Abu Bilal and Abu Saifullah had allegedly planted the bomb at the entrance of gate 5 which killed 17 people and injured over 90.

The agency filed the chargesheet against six people, including three arrested accused Wasim Akram Malik, Amir Abbas Dev and a minor. Those evading arrest are Amir Kamal, Junaid Akram Malik and Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz of the banned terror outfit Hizb-ul Mujahideen.

The agency said the entire conspiracy was hatched between June and September last year at Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir by Wasim Akram Malik and other co-accused to "threaten the judiciary" so that the death sentence of Afzal Guru might get repealed.

The probe agency said the process of proclamation against the three absconding accused has already been initiated and a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each has been announced for giving information about their whereabouts, the sources said.

The chargesheet against the accused has been filed under various sections of the IPC dealing with murder, criminal conspiracy, waging war against the nation, attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt and others.

Besides these, the accused have also been charged under various sections of the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Who are the Delhi bombers?

Who are Abu Saifullah and Abu Bilal named as bombers in the NIA chargesheet filed today in the September Delhi High Court blast case?

While NIA claimed that the two men suspected to be Pakistani nationals were the bombers, Jammu and Kashmir Police and central security agencies appear to be unaware about any such names.

A senior official of the J and K Home department said no such name has ever surfaced either through electronic interception or human intelligence available in the state.

The views of the Jammu and Kashmir home department were shared by the sleuths of various central security agencies who also said that at the time when the blast had taken place, there was no presence of any foreign terrorist in Kishtawar district of Jammu region.

In its over 1,062 page chargesheet, the NIA claimed that the two suspected bombers had carried out a recce of the Delhi High Court before carrying out the blasts.

However, the NIA chargesheet does not show as to when the two bombers had come to Delhi for carrying out the recce and how they travelled to the national capital carrying the explosive-laden briefcase which was planted on September 7, 2011. The explosion had left 15 persons dead and 79 injured.

NIA prepared a sketches of the two bombers with the help of Wasim Akram, one of the main accused, and Ammir Abbas Dev but the same has neither been shared with the state nor with central security agencies.