Senior RSS leader named suspect in Ajmer blast case, denies charge

JAIPUR/NEW DELHI - Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar was present when the conspiracy to carry out a blast at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine in Ajmer was hatched, according to the charge-sheet in the case. He has denied the charges.

However, Indresh Kumar has not been named as accused in the charge-sheet filed by the Rajasthan Police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad in an Ajmer court Friday. Five supporters of radical Hindu group Abhinav Bharat have been responsible for the Oct 11, 2007 blast, in which three people were killed and 30 injured.

“Indresh has so far not been made an accused in the case as further investigations are required, but he seems to be a conspirator,” a source in the ATS said.

The RSS leader termed the charges a “a political conspiracy” against him by the Congress government.

Rejecting any substance in the allegations, Indresh Kumar claimed that “the investigating agency has been used against me”.

He told the CNN-IBN newschannel that the RSS did not believe in violence and he would approach the court for justice.

The ATS has charged Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Chander Shekhar Lave, Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangre with murder, attempt to murder, conspiracy, harming or defiling place of worship and other crimes.

Gupta, Sharma and Lave are in judicial custody while Dange and Kalsangre are absconding.

Another accused, Sunil Joshi, died during the course of investigation.

The 806-page charge sheet says that the conspiracy for the bomb blast was hatched during a meeting held in room number 26 of Gujarati Samaj Guesthouse situated near MI Road in Jaipur Oct 21, 2005. The accused had checked in under false names.

According to the charge sheet, Indresh Kumar was present at the secret meeting in which six other functionaries of the outfit were also present.

“Indresh suggested that they attach themselves to some religious organisation so that they can pass themselves off as pilgrims,” the charge-sheet says.

Swami Asinanand of Abhinav Bharat Sangthan and Sadhvi Pragya of Jai Vande Matram Sangthan were also present in the meeting where not only was the conspiracy hatched but different tasks were also assigned to some of the conspirators, the ATS said.

According to the ATS, the bombs were made in Indore and the area where the bombs were to be planted were identified in a meeting held in Dang area of Gujarat between Feb 11 and 13, 2007.