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February 14, 2012

Former RSS activist planted bombs on Samjhauta Express: NIA

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2893117.ece
Panchkula/New Delhi, February 14, 2012
Former RSS activist planted bombs on Samjhauta Express: NIA
PTI

A close aide of other key accused, Kamal Chauhan underwent extensive training in handling weapons and explosives, the National Investigation Agency said

Kamal Chauhan, a former RSS worker, had planted bombs on board Samjhauta Express in 2007 after undergoing training in arms and explosives in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, the National Investigation Agency stated today.

Chauhan was taken to Panchkula court which on Tuesday granted NIA custody till February 24 for questioning him on his alleged role in the blast in the Delhi-Lahore train that left 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.

NIA’s Special Prosecutor R.K. Handa said outside the court that Chauhan, along with Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji and Lokesh Sharma, also charged in the case, planted the explosives in the train at Old Delhi, from where the train originates.

Chauhan, believed to be a close aide of Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange, key accused in the Samjhauta case, was arrested in Noida on Delhi’s outskirts on Sunday and was brought to Panchkula in Haryana today. The NIA had sought his remand for a fortnight.

“We have to unearth his complete involvement and association. During investigations, it has come to light that Chauhan underwent extensive training in handling of weapons and explosives. He took training at Karni Singh shooting range in Faridabad (Haryana) and a register seized by CBI on August 10, 2011 has the entries of his name in that shooting range.

He also took explosives and arms training at Bagli in Dewas (Madhya Pradesh),” Mr. Handa said.

“To unearth more information about execution of the plan, preparations that were made, a thorough investigation is required, for which we have sought the remand,” he said.

Chauhan, born in Mhow, was an activist of Rashtirya Swayamsevak Sangh. Sources claimed that during interrogation, Chauhan had spoken about his association with the RSS and his fall-out as he did not subscribe to the “new ideologies”.