Ajmer Dargah blast case: Sentencing on March 22

A local court, which earlier convicted three persons in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case, on Saturday deferred the sentencing and will now announce the quantum of punishment on March 22.

This is third time the court has deferred its ruling in the nine year old case in which three persons were killed and at least 15 others injured when a bomb exploded on October 11 evening, inside the shrine of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti.

Earlier the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court was supposed to deliver the sentence on March 16 but had deferred it to Saturday. Now the sentencing will be on Wednesday.

On March 8, the court had convicted Bhavesh Patel, Devendra Gupta and Sunil Joshi (now dead); and acquitted Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Swami Aseemanand and six others in the case.

"Arguments were completed today (Saturday)," Lokesh Sharma, advocate of Bhavesh Patel told IANS.

The court had found the three guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code including for criminal conspiracy, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of others, and various sections of Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Act.

Three of the total 13 accused are still missing and on the run.

--IANS

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