Excerpts from the 25-page chargesheet - the Samjhauta plot

Indian Express

Tracking the Samjhauta plot

June 22 2011

The NIA chargesheet on the Samjhauta Express blasts traces the events from the plotting to the actual attack. Excerpts from the 25-page chargesheet, transcribed by Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Vengeance

Aseemanand was upset about Islamic jihadi/terrorist attacks on Hindu temples like Akshardham (Gujarat), Raghunath Mandir (Jammu) and Sankat Mochan Mandir (Varanasi). He expressed his anger during discussions with Sunil Joshi, Pragya Singh and Bharat Bhai. All of them discussed the attacks and over time, they developed (a desire for) vengeance not only against the misguided jihadi terrorists but against the whole Muslim community. Aseemanand put forward a “bomb ka badla bomb” theory.

Bharat Bhai had met Aseemanand in 1999 and become a close disciple of his. It was during 2003 that Aseemanand met Pragya and Joshi and they became very close.

Early meetings

In October 2005, Indresh Kumar (RSS leader) and others visited Shabri Dham, Gujarat. Joshi arranged a meeting between Aseemanand and Indresh. They discussed jihadi attacks on Hindu places of worships and the need to give a befitting reply.

In March 2006, after the blast at Sankat Mochan, Joshi and Aseemanand held a meeting at Shabri Dham. Aseemanand said they should no longer tolerate such attacks and exhorted them to retaliate with attacks on Islamic religious sites. Joshi informed him that he had some boys capable of such actions, but he added that undertaking any such mission would incur heavy expenses, logistic arrangements. He said that for procuring raw materials for explosives, arms and ammunition and other items, he required not only money but also Aseemanand’s connections. Aseemanand readily agreed.

Funds

Aseemanand gave Rs 25,000 in cash to Joshi and directed him to visit, along with Bharat Bhai, several places in UP and Jharkhand to meet some resourceful Hinduvadi leaders. Joshi teased Aseemanand, “What will this Rs 25,000 do; it will only meet travel Bharat Bhai's and my travel expenses.” When Aseemanand expressed an inability to give more, Joshi said, “Just give us your blessings, there are others who will provide the money for the job.”

In May 2006, Joshi went to Shabri Dham on return from Jharkhand and UP. Joshi and Bharat Bhai briefed Assemananad about their visit. Joshi told Aseemanand they had gone first to Jharkhand, where Devender Gupta had provided SIM cards, pistols and explosives. After that, they had gone to Agra and further to Gorakhpur but could not get help. He informed Aseemanand that he and Bharat Bhai went to Nagpur and met Indresh, who gave Rs 50,000 for explosives and other items.

Main meeting

Joshi requested Aseemanand to call a coordination meeting at the residence of Bharat Bhai at Valsad, Gujarat, for chalking out the strategy. In June 2006, the main conspiracy meeting took place, attended by Aseemanand, Sadhvi Pragya, Joshi, Sandeep Dange, Ramchander Kalsangra, Lokesh Sharma, Amit Chauhan and Bharat Bhai. Aseemanand was introduced to Kalsangra, Dange, Sharma and Amit Chauhan by Joshi.

'Kaam ke ladke'

Aseemanand, who presided over the meeting, reiterated his theory of “Bomb ka jawab bomb se dena chahiye”. All agreed.

Joshi said, “Yeh sabhi kaam ke ladke hain.”

Dange suddenly got agitated and said, “Mandirs are being attacked everywhere and Hindus are silent.” Joshi said, “Hindus are being killed and the government is running a Samjhauta train.” To this Dange replied, “We will blow up the Samjhauta train”... Joshi intervened and brought some order to the agitated discussion. Aseemanand suggested blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer, Hyderabad and also on the Samjhauta train. Joshi took on the responsibility for all the blasts.

Target Samjhauta

Joshi talked about targeting the Samjhauta Express, which he and Sandeep Dange had already discussed. Joshi said they should, anyhow, stop the train, because most of the travellers in this train were Pakistani Muslims. He had already done some groundwork.

Joshi said, “For this we need a different kind of bombs, assemble a variety of chemicals. For a number of simultaneous blasts on a running train, SIM card bombs won’t do”. He added that Dange was an expert in making bombs and would undertake this project.

Aseemanand told Joshi he would try to contribute as much funds as possible. Joshi, however, asked him not to worry. “There are others who will give the money.” He told Aseemanand the Rs 25,000 he had given in March 2006 was spent on train tickets for Bharat Bhai and himself, and on some SIM cards, arms and explosives.

Groundwork

(Joshi told them that) there would be three groups, the first of white-collared people who would help motivate youths for the missions and provide shelter, the second of members who would procure raw materials for fabricating bombs, and the third to fabricate bombs and plant them. Aseemanand and Bharat Bhai were in the first group and Joshi said he would be in touch with all these groups but people in any group should not try to make contact with those in another.

The suitcase cover, with APOLO 600 handwritten on it, was purchased from Abhinandan Bag Centre, Kothari Market, Indore. Puran Singh, a worker, was at the sales counter. Iqbal Hussain, a tailor at M K Bag Centre, Kothari Market, had stitched the cover and put his mark on the cover by writing APOLO 600. Call details show that Joshi was at Kothari Market on February 14, 2007.

The explosives

Four Improvised Explosive Devices were planted in unreserved compartments, of which the IEDs in the 12th and 13th compartments exploded. The explosion was followed by fire in the compartments. One unexploded IED in a suitcase was recovered from the 15th compartment, which exploded in the process of being defused. However, one unexploded IED in a suitcase was recovered from the spot down the railway line (near the 15th compartment).

On analysis of the debris and unexploded devices, it emerged that both IEDs had explosive material like pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), radicals of nitrite trinitrotoluene (TNT), cyclonite (RDX), sulphur, potassium chlorate, petrol, diesel, and mixture of petrol, diesel and kerosene. No commonly used explosive material or their decomposition products could be detected in the post-explosive debris. It came out that the exhibits could be assembled to form a suitcase improvised explosive, an incendiary-type device. The Orpat clock (alarm circuit) along with an electronic circuit and a battery could be used to trigger the device at a preset time. Cast iron metallic pieces could be part of an exploded pipe bomb.

Ice-cream for celebration

On February 19, 2007, at around 12 pm, when Neera and Lovely (Pragya's sister) were at Pragya’s Surat residence, Pragya talked to someone on the phone and asked if “the boys are OK”. After that, she sought to watch the news. They went to a flat in a building in a nearby housing society and asked the woman there to switch on the TV. The news about the Samjhauta blast was being flashed on all channels. On seeing the visuals of the bodies, Neera got disturbed and started crying. Pragya asked her, “Why are you crying?” Neera replied, “Look, how many people have died.”

Pragya was very jubilant and gleefully said, “Don’t cry, all these are Muslims who have died.” When Neera saw Hindu names in the list of deceased, she said, “Didi, look, there are Hindus too.” Sadhvi replied, “Chana ke sath ghun bhi pista hai.”

After watching the news, Pragya expressed a desire to eat ice cream to celebrate.

‘Teacher's job’

On February 19, 2007, Bharat Bhai and Sunil Joshi were watching TV at Bharat Bhai’s home in Valsad. When news of the blast came, Joshi said, “Good, this job was done by our Teacher (Dange) and his boys. Finally he has done it.”

On February 20, 2007, Pragya, Neera and one Ritesh Sharma again arrived at Shabri Dham from Surat by bus. Joshi arrived the same day and after that he, Pragya and Aseemanand had a secret meeting. Aseemanand told Joshi privately, to prick his ego, “You claim responsibility for Samjhauta; the incident has happened and you are sitting right here.” Joshi replied, “Swamiji, this is indeed the work of our people.” Aseemanand asked him when he was in Gujarat, how could he carry this out at such a faroff place. Joshi replied, “It was Teacher’s (Dange’s) job.”

More cash, more blasts

In 2007, Joshi asked Aseemanand for more money for the next blast, which he intended at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad. Aseemanand was prepared and gave him Rs 40,000.

In May 2007, Bharat Bhai called Aseemanand and told him Joshi would be coming to meet him in Shabri Dham with “some news”. After about a week, Joshi arrived. He was carrying a Telugu newspaper that had news of the Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad. He told Aseemanand it had been done by his boys.

Some days before the Ajmer blast (October 11, 2007), Joshi called Aseemanand and said, “Swamiji, keep listening to the news, there will be good news soon.” After a few days, Joshi went to Shabri Dham along with one Raj and one Mehul and told him “his boys had carried out this blast too”.

After the blast, Joshi had called Bharat Bhai and told him to switch on the TV and said, “We have exploded the Diwali bomb.” Bharat Bhai saw the news of the Ajmer blast.

Arrest

Aseemanand fled Shabri Dham when he learnt about the arrest of Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma in connection with the Ajmer blast. He reached village Atmalpur, Hardwar, in Uttaranchal, stayed with Swami Brahamanand by impersonating as Swami Omakarnand, and obtained a ration card and a voter’s card by submitting forged documents. During his stay he developed close relations with Shakti Singh and Ajay Chauhan and one day, he told Chauhan in presence of Singh that he was involved in the Samjhauta blast. Chauhan advised him to surrender in the court at Hardwar, which he did not do.

Aseemanand was finally arrested on November 18, 2010, from Atmalpur by CBI.

Investigations

Sunil Joshi kept a personal phone diary till the time of his murder in December 2007. The phone diary disclosed some important contact details. Under the head emergency number, Aseemanand’s number was included, indicating their closeness. Joshi kept arms, explosives and IEDs in his house which were apparently used by Kalsangra after being removed from the house of Joshi after his murder. The call details of telephones used by Pragya, Sunil Joshi, Sandeep Dange and Aseemanand show the connections between the suspects/co-accused during February-March 2007.

The involvement of Amit alias Sunny, Pragya, Indresh, Devender Gupta and some other individuals in the conspiracy is highly suspected. Further investigation will be continued under Section 173(8), CrPC.