Delhi HC blast: Court to frame charges on Oct 1

New Delhi: A special court here Friday fixed October 1 for framing of charges against an accused in the September 7, 2011 Delhi High Court blast accused, informed sources said.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Judge HS Sharma, during the in-camera proceedings, deferred the order on framing of charges against Wasim Akram Malik for October 1, the sources said.

The court on September 4 found sufficient evidence against Malik under penal provisions dealing with criminal conspiracy, murder and attempt to murder and various terror charges, the sources said, but dropped the charges dealing with waging war against the state and conspiracy and collecting arms to wage a war against the country against him.

"In my view, prosecution has collected sufficient evidence to frame charges under Section 120 B (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.

The NIA has moved the high court challenging the dropped charges.

Malik, in judicial custody, will be the first accused against whom the charges would be framed.

"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.

Fifteen people were killed and 79 others injured in the Sep 7, 2011 blast outside Gate No.5 of the high court complex.

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. 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 Chota Hafiz and Amir Kamal. They are on the run.