The blasts on Samjhauta Express train had taken place on February 18, 2007, killing 68 people. (TOI)

CHANDIGARH: The National investigation agency (NIA) on Monday starts final arguments in Samjhauta blasts case.

Defence counsel Manvir Rathi said that NIA special court in Panchkula has now deferred the hearing for February 13, when NIA will complete its final arguments. After NIA’s final arguments, they will start their final arguments, he added.

The blasts on Samjhauta Express train had taken place on February 18, 2007, killing 68 people, mostly Pakistanis. The train was targeted as Pakistani Muslims used to travel by it, as per the NIA chargesheet.

The NIA on June 20, 2011 had filed the charge sheet against Swami Aseemanand and four others in the Panchkula NIA court. In the charge sheet, filed before the special NIA court in Panchkula, the agency had accused Aseemanand, Lokesh Sharma, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji of hatching a criminal conspiracy, which resulted in blasts in the cross-border train near Dewana railway station in Panipat district in February 2007 resulted in the death of 68 persons.

In this case, the court had even directed 13 Pakistan Nationals to record their statements, but till date they did not turn up. These Pakistani nationals are those who were either travelling on the train on that fateful day or are next of kin who died in the blasts.

