By Abdul Bari Masoud, MM,
New Delhi: Opposition slammed the Narendra Modi Government for allegedly misusing the premier anti-terror agency National Investigative Agency (NIA) to get free Hindutva accused in terror cases. Reacting to reports that 14 key witnesses of the 2007 Ajmer Sharif Dargah blast have turned hostile since the Modi government has come to power, they said “Probity, accountability, impartial and fair investigation- as indeed the entire criminal justice system seems to have gone for a toss ever since BJP has come to power at center.
Opposition Congress has charged the Modi Government that it turned the NIA into a partisan, subservient and toothless body, parroting the line set by its political masters.
“We first witnessed that public prosecutors with high integrity were asked to “go soft” on accused in the 2008 Malegaon Blast case, by the “new Government in Power” and now we see that in a strange manner, witnesses are turning hostile in the Ajmer Dargah and Samjhauta blast Cases,” said Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“However, there is nothing mysterious in the witnesses turning hostile. It is happening solely at the instance, insistence and inducement of the powers that be at the Centre and the States. These instances and inducements are shocking to say the least, since the political masters at the helm of affairs choose to blatantly make witnesses turning hostile into Ministers in their Governments. Randhir Singh, a witness who turned hostile after three earlier statements on the contrary was made a Minister in the BJP’s Jharkhand Government”.
It is in public domain now that 14 of the 15 witnesses in the Ajmer Case and 3 key witnesses in the Samjhauta Express case have turned hostile, making the years long investigation almost in-fructuous and therefore ineligible for any further trial for delivery of justice.
It is noteworthy that almost all those who have turned hostile have deep links with the RSS, an essential cog wheel of the ruling dispensation today. Can any stretch of creative imagination describe these somersaults by witnesses as merely coincidental?
Surjewala said it is a prima facie case of subversion of investigation and therefore the judicial process. He said Congress demands that:-
- The Director-General of National Investigation Agency (NIA), who is squarely responsible for these politically motivated omissions and commissions, should be immediately removed.
- NIA should try the Malegaon Blast case, Ajmer Dargah blast Case and the Samjhauta Express blast under direct supervision of the Supreme Court of India.
- Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Home Minister, Rajnath Singh should come out clear on their role in compromising the integrity of on-going trials in these cases’.
- Randhir Singh, the Minister in Jharkhand is sacked immediately and his role be investigated afresh and independently.
- Rohini Salian, Advocate, be immediately reinstated as the Special Public Prosecutor in the Malegaon blast case.”
Noted human right activist and co-founder of Swaraj Abhiyan, Prashant Bhushan also criticized the Modi government saying the issue is serious enough for the Supreme Court to intervene suo moto to start monitoring these cases.
He tweeted to express his disapproval of the government’s attitude and intention towards the cases of terror, where the accused are seen to be close to Sangh Parivar.
The Ajmer dargah blast, which killed three and injured 17 people, was handed over to the NIA, the National Investigation Agency in 2011. It’s shocking to know from the public prosecutor Ashwini Sharma that all 14 witnesses have gone back on their statements recorded before the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in 2010.
Swaraj Abhiyan had strongly objected to a similar tendency seen in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, where the special public prosecutor Rohini Salian had raised an alarm that the government had told her to go “soft”.
It said the manner in which such cases are being handled by the Modi government is a matter of serious concern. It’s shameful that the ruling government is complicit with mass criminals who have committed heinous crimes against society.
“After Malegaon blasts SPP asked to go soft on Saffron accused, several witnesses in Ajmer Blasts case turn hostile! It seems to be a clear design by BJP govt to protect Sangh Parivar terrorists in all cases. Hostile witness in Ajmer Blasts case made Minister!”
Prashant Bhushan has further said, “The PM has been trying to shed his image acquired in Gujarat of being a communal leader with his hands soaked in the blood of thousands of Muslims. He must realise that the handling of these cases of saffron terror during his regime is bound to reinforce his earlier image. If he is serious about shedding that image, he must himself intervene to prevent the derailment of these cases”.
Abhiyan pointed that the country’s history is replete with cases of mass murders remaining unpunished. It just cannot afford to keep letting this happen again and again.”