Joshi murder: NIA to seek approval

Though Madhya Pradesh government has reluctantly handed over the former RSS worker Sunil Joshi murder case to the National Investigative Agency (NIA), the latter has to seek court approval to move further in the matter as the state has already submitted the case for trial in Dewas court.

Though Madhya Pradesh government has reluctantly handed over the former RSS worker Sunil Joshi murder case to the National Investigative Agency (NIA), the latter has to seek court approval to move further in the matter as the state has already submitted the case for trial in Dewas court.

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"Our stand in the case was clear from the beginning that since the case is being submitted for trial in a court in Dewas town, the NIA has to seek the approval of the court to move further in the matter," principal secretary home, Ashok Das told PTI here on Friday.

NIA suspected that Joshi, who was murdered under mysterious circumstances near Dewas on December 29, 2007, had a role in Samjhauta Express, Malegaon, Ajmer Dargah and Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad) blasts and insisted that the case be handed over to it, but Madhya Pradesh Government which initially resisted the move finally handed over the probe to it.

The State Home Minister, Uma Shankar Gupta told PTI, "we have handed over the case to NIA by putting forward our view point, but this will not augur well for the Centre-State relationship."

"I think it is the violation of the laid down limits between the Centre and the states," Gupta remarked.

Meanwhile, NIA has filed an application in the Dewas court and it will come up for hearing on July 25, court sources said.