Samjhauta blasts: court cites interrogation file for rejecting remand plea - Hindustan Times
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Samjhauta blasts: court cites interrogation file for rejecting remand plea

None | By, Panchkula
Mar 07, 2012 07:47 PM IST

The additional district and sessions court in Panchkula has cited the police file of interrogation of Samjhauta blasts suspect Kamal Chauhan for rejecting the NIA's application seeking his further remand of 10 days.

The additional district and sessions court in Panchkula has cited the police file of interrogation of Samjhauta blasts suspect Kamal Chauhan for rejecting the National Investigation Agency (NIA)'s application seeking his further remand of 10 days.

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The NIA alleges that Chauhan planted one of the four bombs in Samjhauta Express, which killed 68 people, most of them Pakistanis, on February 18, 2007.

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Though the order rejecting the application was announced on March 2, the detailed order was made available on Tuesday.

Additional district and sessions judge Kanchan Mahi said the police file of interrogation dated February 27 and 28 revealed that despite "sustained interrogation of accused Kamal Chauhan, he had remained tight-lipped".

The judge said Chauhan had been in police custody since February 14 and the police had got sufficient time "for gathering relevant information and it is quite possible that since nothing more is to be revealed by Kamal Chauhan…he is unable to divulge anything regarding the occurrence".

The order further says, "Even, otherwise, it is not possible that though the accused had disclosed (information) regarding financial support to the co-accused/absconders and booking of railway tickets under fake name from Indore to Hazrat Nizamuddin for planting the bombs… (he) would keep with him the other details regarding aforesaid information."

The court noted that on an earlier date the prosecution had sought police remand of Chauhan on the grounds that places in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had to be identified but from the police file it appeared that he had been taken to Indore. "…it is not clear whether he had also been taken to Rajasthan or any recovery had been effected there from," says the order.

On the issue of jurisdiction of the court to decide on the remand application, the judge rejected the contentions of Shailendar Babbar, counsel of accused. The order said that Section 11(9) empowered the court to decide on urgent matters though it was not a special court.

Meanwhile, Chauhan has expressed his desire to record his confessional statement, which is likely to be recorded on March 10. His bail application is slated for March 20. An additional chargesheet can also be filed on March 20. Presently, he is under judicial custody at Ambala jail.

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