Mecca Masjid blast probe politically motivated: Defence lawyers

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], Apr 16 (ANI): Following the exoneration of the five accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case, the defence lawyers termed the investigation a "politically motivated" one wherein the accused persons were falsely framed.

"Our main focus was that this was a politically motivated case, and all the accused were falsely framed," Advocate JP Sharma said at a press conference here.

Elaborating on the confessional statement of one of the accused, Swami Aseemanand, that was produced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sharma said, "Apart from Swami Aseemanand's confessional statement, the NIA did not have any other evidence. In the whole statement, Swami Aseemanand nowhere says that he was involved in the crime. So, according to us, it was not a confessional statement, only a statement."

"Our allegation is on the then government that its Chief Investigation Officer T. Rajah Balaji was under the control of the Delhi government. To make it a media trial and to appease his political bosses, he took the accused (Aseemanand) to Delhi and recorded his statement there, so that he doesn't get legal aid. Custody lasted three months and the statement taken in the three-month-long custody is of no value." he added.

Sharma also accused the NIA of making a mockery of the investigative process, "NIA took the accused to Bombay, Ahmedabad, Dang, Navsari for investigation but could not find any incriminating evidence. When we asked them why did you take them to so many places, they answered they took them to see the place. So, in the name of inquiry, the NIA was taking the accused to these places for fun."

Besides Sharma, Rajavardhan Reddy, Sundhar Rao were also present.

Advocate Sundhar Rao alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tried to create the concept of saffron terror through its investigation.

"The CBI tried to coin the concept of Hindu terror, saffron terror, and P. Chidambaram and Mr (Sushilkumar) Shinde, while they were home ministers, projected that only Muslims are not, but Hindus are also terrorists. In order to create this concept, they implicated all these persons."

Earlier in the day, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court at Nampally acquitted all the accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case, namely Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Swami Aseemanand, Bharat Mohanlal Rateshwar and Rajendra Chowdhary.

The court pronounced the order citing lack of evidence provided by the NIA against them. (ANI)