New Delhi: A city court Saturday framed charges against Gulam Ahmed Khan, one of the accused in the 2005 Diwali-eve bombings in Delhi that killed over 60 people, after a medical report said he was mentally fit.

Additional Sessions Judge Babulal framed the charges following the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences report that said Khan was mentally sound and could face trial.

Khan has been booked under sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act.

The judge had earlier ordered that Khan's trial be run separately but Saturday ordered that his case be clubbed with those of the four other accused.

Khan has sought bail. The judge will pass his order on that application May 20.

The court said examination of evidence would start July 19, the next date of hearing.

It has already framed charges against the other four accused in the case.

Tariq Ahmed Dar, the alleged mastermind of the bombings, has been charged with waging or attempting to wage war against the government of India (Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)), conspiracy to commit offences for waging war (Section 121-A), collecting arms for waging war (Section 122), criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), murder (Section 302), attempt to murder (Section 307), and under Section 4 of the Explosives Substance Act and Sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Act.

The other three accused, Mohammed Rafiq Shah, Mohammed Hussain Fazli, and Farooq Ahmed Batloo, have been booked under IPC sections 120-B, 307, 302 and also Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.

Three blasts rocked the national capital Oct 29, 2005, at the packed Sarojini Nagar market, Paharganj market and in a public bus in Govindpuri - killing over 60 people and injuring over 100.

 

Source : IANS