Samjhauta accused involved in Jammu blast: NIA

Excelsior Correspondent/PTI
JAMMU/NEW DELHI, Dec 27: Investigations into right-wing terror network in the country have led sleuths of National Investigating Agency (NIA) to suspect that some blasts in Jammu in 2004 were carried out by the group, which was involved in Samjhauta train and Malegaon blasts.
After arresting three persons from Madhya Pradesh recently, the NIA teams were in for a surprise when it was claimed by one of the nabbed persons that their group was also involved in throwing a grenade outside a mosque in Jammu in 2004, official sources said today.
The three persons were arrested in connection with the Samjhauta train and Malegaon blasts.
At least 20 people were injured when a grenade was thrown during Friday prayers at Peer Mitha, an Ahle Hadees mosque, on January 9, 2004. Two of the injured later succumbed to their injuries.
Police had then claimed that the attack was a handiwork of Tehreek-ul Mujahideen terror outfit but with the fresh leads emerging now, NIA plans to request the Jammu and Kashmir Police to hand over investigations of the case to see if there is any link with the ongoing probe into right-wing terror activities.
The fresh leads in the case emerged after the arrest of Rajesh Chaudhury, Dhan Singh and Tej Ram, against whom the NIA was on the look out since the arrest of Kamal Chauhan last year, the sources said.
The interrogation of the trio has put the NIA sleuths on the trail to unravel further conspiracies in various cases, which were till now either unsolved or had been closed for want of evidence.
The cases also include two murders in Madhya Pradesh apart from that of Sunil Joshi, who is being alleged to be the main bomber in the 2007 Samjhauta train blast in which 68 people were killed.
When approached for comments in Jammu, SSP Jammu Vijay Singh Samyal said that the NIA team had recently visited Jammu and detained two youths from Kanachak. Later, the NIA let off both the accused and returned to New Delhi, he added.
Mr Samyal said the NIA has not communicated anything officially to them on the arrest of accused of Pir Mitha or any other blast case made by them from other States.
“We are awaiting official communication from the NIA whether they have arrested some accused involved in Jammu blasts”, he added.
The NIA team had recently visited Jammu and detained two persons from Kanachak with the help of local police. They had taken both the accused to Pir Mitha for questioning. Jammu Police maintained that both the accused were let off after questioning.