With the CBI making no headway in tracking down the two prime accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast case, the probe agency today sought more time from the court for completing investigation and filing charge sheet in the case against the duo.
In a petition filed before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court here, the CBI sought an additional 90 days to
file a charge sheet against the accused. A cell phone-triggered pipe bomb placed inside the Mecca Masjid during Friday prayers on May 18, 2007 had claimed nine lives. Five people were killed in police firing in the clashes that erupted after the blast.
The CBI, which is probing the blast, has so far named five persons, all allegedly having links with a right-wing Hindu outfit, as the accused in the case. It had brought two Ajmer blast suspects, Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma to Hyderabad on June 17 as part of the investigation. Both are presently under judicial remand here.
The CBI has named Sandeep Dange and Rama Chandra Kalsangra alias Ramji, both natives of Indore in Madhya Pradesh as the prime accused in the case, but the duo continue to remain elusive till date. Another accused Sunil Joshi was shot dead by three unidentified gunmen on December 29, 2007 near his house at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh.
"The two absconding accused are yet to be apprehended and a manhunt that was commenced some two months ago is being continued in concert with other state and central agencies across several state jurisdiction," the CBI said in its
petition.
"The two absconding accused are yet to be apprehended and a manhunt that was commenced some two months ago is being continued in concert with other state and central agencies across several state jurisdiction," the CBI said in its
petition.
The CBI in its petition claimed that the accused are connected with an organisation having nation-wide network of influential persons and in spite of the best concerted multi- agency, multi-dimensional efforts to track down the accused,
it has so far not been able to apprehend them.
"The role of other suspects is also being closely investigated, against whom there are reasonable grounds to believe were involved in the conspiracy for the commission of the terrorist act at Mecca Masjid are also being tracked," the
CBI said.
Other witnesses belonging to different state jurisdictions also remain to be questioned in the case, it said.
The CBI told the court it is analysing call data records of Sandeep Dange and Ramji.
The CBI also submitted before the court that it was yet to obtain a Sanction for Prosecution from the Government of
India precedent to filing a charge sheet against the accused. The probe agency said it would be moving relevant case
records to the government after collection of more facts and circumstances relevant to the case.
The court posted the matter to September 22.