1996 Lajpat Nagar bomb blast case: Delhi court grants bail to accused arrested 28 years later
In a notable development related to the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast case, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday granted bail to an accused who was apprehended 28 years after the incident.
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FollowIn a notable development related to the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast case, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday granted bail to an accused who was apprehended 28 years after the incident. The individual, who had been declared a proclaimed offender in February 1997, was arrested on July 9, 2024.
Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur granted bail to Mehrajuddin Bhatt, also known as Juber, on Tuesday, July 23. The court imposed several conditions, including a restriction on Bhatt leaving the country without prior court approval. The decision followed the investigating officer's report, which revealed no incriminating evidence against Bhatt during the examination of co-accused Faridabad Dar (alias Behenji) and Latif Ahmed Waza. Bhatt's name emerged in their disclosure statements.
On May 21, 1996, a devastating bomb blast struck Lajpat Nagar market, resulting in the deaths of over a dozen individuals and injuring many others. The Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Bhatt has been a permanent employee at the Institute of Management and Public Administration, Natipora, since 1989. The court noted that on April 8, 2010, Farida Dar was acquitted of conspiracy charges, and Latif Ahmed Waza was cleared of all charges. Advocate Kartik Venu, representing Bhatt, argued that his client is innocent and does not pose a flight risk due to his long-standing government employment.
Venu also highlighted that Bhatt's involvement in the alleged conspiracy is based solely on the disclosure statements of Dar and Waza. Bhatt is not in a position to interfere with the investigation, which relies on documentary evidence. Initially, an FIR was lodged at Lajpat Nagar police station, but the investigation was later transferred to the special cell.
Out of the 17 accused in this case, four have been convicted, six acquitted, six declared proclaimed offenders, and one deceased, according to ANI.
