Almost a year, NIA yet to make findings in Margao blasts public

MARGAO, SEPT 27
Less than a month to go for the first anniversary of the October 14 Margao bomb blasts, but the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is yet to make public its findings on the role played by Sanatan Saunstha, if any, and other aspects relating to the funding of the organisation.
When the NIA had filed a chargesheet against the accused in the sensational case on May 17, the investigating agency had sought permission of the Sessions Court for further investigations into the case. Four months since the chargesheet was filed in the Sessions court, no findings on the Sanatan Saunstha and the funding aspects have come to the fore till date.
That’s not all. The Special court mandated under the NIA Act to try such cases is yet to be constituted, leaving the task of conducting the trial to the already overburdened Sessions court.
Incidentally, the Sessions court has not yet decided on the application filed by the accused for day-to-day trial of the case. The court has examined a witness on Day One of the trial and is likely to examine four more witnesses on September 29-30 when the case comes up for hearing.
However, if sources in the NIA are to be believed, the investigating agency has cited around 250 witnesses, adding that it would take months, if not years to examine all the witnesses if the trial is not conducted expeditiously.
Incidentally, three accused Jaiprakash alias Anna, Rudra Patil and Sarang Kulkarni, who have been named in the chargesheet are still at large. Trial against Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar have commenced, while the NIA has not yet filed a chargesheet against the other two accused, Prashant Ashtekar and Prashant Juvekar.
Says Special Judicial Magistrate, representing NIA, S B Faria: “The NIA is investigating into the Sanatan role and all aspects relating to its funding. I have no idea when the report will be compiled by the investigating agency”.
On the trial of the sensational case, Faria said that the prosecution has so far examined a witness, adding that four more witnesses will be examined on the two days of hearing on September 29-30.
He replied in the negative when asked whether any Special court has been constituted to conduct trail of the case on a day-to-day basis.
The NIA on May 17 last had filed a 30-page chargesheet in the court, accusing members of the Sanatan Saunstha for hatching a criminal conspiracy between June and October 2009 with the common object to strike terror in the minds of the viewers, organisers and participants of the narkasur competition at Margao and Sancoale by indulging in terrorist acts by using Improvised Explosives Devises in an attempt to wage war against the Government of India.