Pakistan delays sending 13 to testify on Samjhauta Express blasts

New Delhi: Pakistan has sought more time from India to decide on the issue of producing 13 witnesses in the Samjhauta Express blast case. Proceedings into the 2007 case are now going on in a designated Haryana court.

Summons issued by the NIA special court in Panchkula were handed over to Pakistan to send 13 people who are witnesses, not accused, in the case. Pakistan has now said via diplomatic channels that it needs four months more to decide on sending these witnesses for the trial.

While issuing the summons on March 17, the NIA court directed that the witnesses should appear from July 4. Pakistan’s decision will now be conveyed to the court by the NIA counsel once the hearing resumes Tuesday. So far, the statements of 249 witnesses out of 299 have been recorded on the blast, in which 68 people had died on February 18, 2007.

The NIA, which investigated the case, had chargesheeted Swami Aseemanand, who incidentally was acquitted in the Ajmer dargah blast case. The NIA chargesheet also names Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji and Sunil Joshi, now dead. The chargesheet was filed under various sections of the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.