Terror charges framed in Delhi High Court blast

New Delhi  :  Paving the way for trial, a special court here Monday framed terror charges against an accused involved in a blast outside the Delhi High Court in 2011, sources said.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Judge H.S. Sharma, during the in-camera proceedings, framed charges against Wasim Akram Malik. His trial will begin Oct 15.

Fifteen people were killed and 79 injured Sep 7, 2011 in the explosion outside gate number 5 of the court complex.

The court Sep 4 found sufficient evidence against Malik under terror charges and penal provisions dealing with criminal conspiracy, murder and attempt to murder, the sources said.

“In my view, the prosecution has collected sufficient evidence to frame charges under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), 440 (mischief committed for causing death) 436 (mischief by explosive substance), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal code and under section 4 (explosion used to endanger human life) of the Explosive Substances Act,” the court said.

Malik, who is in judicial custody, is the first accused against whom the charges have been framed in the case.

The court, however, dropped against him the charges dealing with waging war against the state and conspiracy and collecting arms to wage a war against the country. The NIA moved the high court challenging the trial judge’s decision to drop these charges.

The NIA in March filed a charge sheet against six accused, including a minor. Malik and another accused, Amir Abbas Dev, were arrested in September 2011.

Amir Abbas Dev has turned approver in the case and is in judicial custody. The other accused in the case are Malik’s brother and alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Junaid Akram Malik, Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chhota Hafiz and Amir Kamal. They are on the run.

“Wasim Malik, an avid internet user, is one of those leaderless jehadis who conspired with the terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen and other outfits and executed this cowardly and inhuman terrorist action,” the NIA said.