Ajmer blast case: Guilty booked under UAPA, quantum of punishment on Mar. 16

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday held three accused guilty in the 2007 Ajmer blast case, the degree of punishment for whom will be decided by the court on March 16.

The guilty have charged under the Explosive Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Out of the three guilty, Sushil Joshi is already dead.

"One guilty (Sunil Joshi) has died. Devendra Gupta and Bhavesh Patel have been found guilty under section 120 (B) 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 34 of Explosive act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act under held guilty. The degree of punishment will be decided in the hearing which is to take place on March 16," Aseemanand's lawyer told the media here.

Seven including Lokesh Sharma, Mukesh, Chadrashekhar, Mehul, have been acquitted in the case.

Aseemanand was accused in the Ajmer blast case as per the NIA's chargesheet filed in 2007.

The agency accused Aseemamand of hatching the conspiracy of bombing Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti shrine, thereby killing three people and injuring 17 others.

The hearing into the matter was postponed multiple times as the witnesses made applications delaying their appearance before the court, citing threat to their lives among other reasons.

The investigation in the matter was later handed over to the ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) in November 2007.

Later in December 2010, the court chief judicial magistrate court permitted the National Investigation Agency to interrogate accused.

After the change of government at the Centre in 2014, the case was moved in a fast-track court.