‘Samjhauta Express bombs planted between Delhi & Panipat’

CHANDIGARH: The explosives used to attack Samjhauta Express in 2007 were planted in the train between Delhi and Panipat stations since the bogies were thoroughly examined and sealed at Delhi station before being handed over to the railways’ traffic wing in “safe mode” for movement. This was disclosed on Friday before a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Panchkula, by Phool Chand, who was a supervisor at Delhi railway station and had carried out the mechanical and physical examination of the bogies. Phool Chand, a prosecution witness in the Samjhauta Express blasts case, was called by the court to record his statement. He had handed over the train for movement on the morning of February 18, 2007.Giving details about the examination of witnesses, special public prosecutor R K Handa said another witness, Babu Lal Meena, a point man at Deewana station near Panipat, told the court he had seen a suitcase containing about 15 bottles with some liquid substance near the tracks. Meena told the court he had taken the bottles in his hands but fled the scene, fearing they could be bombs.Another witness, Ashok Kumar, who was posted in Deewana, told the court that after seeing the fire in the train, he had given the red signal and informed the station master.More witnesses will be examined on Tuesday.On February 18, 2007, 68 people were killed when bombs were set off in two coaches of Samjhauta Express, a peace train running between Delhi and Lahore, at Diwana near Panipat.The initial probe into the blasts was conducted by the government railway police and Haryana police’s special investigation team. The investigation was subsequently taken over by the NIA on July 29, 2010 following a home ministry directive.On January 24, the special NIA court in Panchkula had framed charges against Swami Aseemanand, Kamal Chauhan, Lokesh Sharma and Rajinder Chaudhary for planning and executing the blasts. The accused are at present lodged in Ambala jail.