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Diwali-eve blasts: Suspected LeT militant gets bail
A Delhi court has granted bail to a suspected Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, accused of providing money to the alleged mastermind of the Diwali-eve blasts in New Delhi in 2005.
A Delhi court has granted bail to a suspected Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, accused of providing money to the alleged mastermind of the Diwali-eve blasts in New Delhi in 2005.
Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar Chauhan allowed a plea of Gulam Ahmed Khan, facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), to be released on bail.
Khan sought bail on the ground that co-accused Farooq Ahmed Batloo had already been released by the Delhi High Court. Khan is accused of providing funds to Tariq Ahmed Dar, who is facing trial in the case and is suspected to be the mastermind of the blasts.
During the arguments, Khan's counsel R M Tufail and Anwar A Khan contended that the accused had already served five year jail term prescribed under law for such offence while in judicial custody since his arrest on November 23, 2005.
They also submitted that most of the prosecution witnesses have already been examined in the case and there was no likelihood of influencing them.
Khan's counsels pointed out that the accused has been suffering from mental disorder and has been treated at AIIMS and Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences (IHBAS).
Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan opposed their plea on the ground that the accused had transferred over Rs 12.5 lakh to Dar's account at a branch of Jammu and Kashmir bank in Delhi.
The court, however, granted bail to Khan on furnishing a personal and a surety bond of Rs 50,000 each.
"On the ground of parity as well as in the facts and the circumstances of the case and considering the physical condition of the accused, I am of the considered opinion that ends of justice required that he be released on bail," the ASJ said.
The serial blasts at three different places -- Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj and Kalkaji -- on October 29, 2005 had claimed 67 lives and injured over 225.
