NIA losing credibility with BJP at Centre: Congress on Aseemanand's acquittal

Following the acquittal of 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast accused Swami Aseemanand, the Congress on Thursday alleged that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre all the culprits of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are getting clean chits, adding that even the National Investigative Agency (NIA) has changed its attitude.

"From the time BJP has been elected in the Centre the NIA has changed their attitude. All the cases which were being heard where the RSS workers were accused have got the clean chit. It was speculated from the very beginning that people like Aseemanand, who have immense blessings of the government, will be let go," Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.

Punia added that the acquittal of the accused in this case is a matter of concern, adding that with such developments investigative agencies like NIA is losing their credibility.

In a major relief for Swami Aseemanand, a special NIA court earlier on Wednesday acquitted him in connection with the Ajmer blast case.

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

The agency accused Aseemanand 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 NIA to interrogate the accused.

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