Ajmer Dargah bombing: Difference between revisions

{{Terrorist attacks in India (since 2001)}}

The '''Ajmer Dargah bombing''' (also called the '''Ajmer Sharif blast''') occurred on 11 October 2007, in the courtyard of [[Sufi]] saint [[Moinuddin Chishti]] in [[Ajmer]], Rajasthan, India, after the [[Iftar]] period had started. On 22 March 2017 a Special NIA Court convicted three ex-[[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] pracharaks Devendra Gupta, Bhavesh Patel and Sunil Joshi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ajmer-blast-case-two-rss-pracharaks-sentenced-life-imprisonment-4580944/|title=Ajmer blast case: Two 'RSS pracharaks' sentenced life imprisonment}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1362808/india-jails-hindu-radicals-life-ajmer-sharif-shrine-blast/|title=India jails Hindu radicals for life over Ajmer Sharif shrine blast}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2018-08-20|title=Ajmer blasts case: Life term for two 'ex-RSS pracharaks'|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ajmer-blast-case-two-rss-pracharaks-sentenced-life-imprisonment-4580944/|access-date=2020-07-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Sunil Joshi and Devendra Gupta were found guilty on charges of conspiracy and Bhavesh Bhai Patel was found guilty of planting the explosive on the blast site. Gupta and Patel were awarded life imprisonment.<ref name=":0" /> Sunil Joshi had been found shot dead in mysterious circumstances soon after the blast in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-24|title=What is the Ajmer Dargah blast case?|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-the-ajmer-dargah-blast-case-4580300/|access-date=2020-07-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

==Attack==

At 6.12&nbsp;pm on 11 October 2007, an explosion occurred near a courtyard outside the [[Dargah]] of [[Moinuddin Chishti|Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti]] in Ajmer.<ref name="Urban-Terrorism-2009">{{cite book|last=Asthana|last2=Nirmal|title=Urban Terrorism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EqWnqdsgZMC&pg=PA188&dq=Ajmer|page=188|year=2009}}</ref> Evening prayers had just concluded before the end of the fasting month of [[Ramadan]] and a crowd had gathered outside the shrine to end their [[fasting|fast]].<ref name="Reuters-20071011">{{cite news|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-29954920071011|title=Bomb kills 2 at Ajmer Sharif dargah|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=11 October 2007|access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref> The bomb had been concealed in a [[tiffin carrier]], which workers typically used to store their lunch.<ref name="DNA-20071011">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_blast-at-ajmer-dargah-2-dead_1126990|title=Blast at Ajmer Dargah, 5 dead|date=11 October 2007|newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|access-date=12 January 2011|location=India}}</ref> The blast killed 3<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2007-ajmer-dargah-blast-accused-held-in-gujarat-s-bharuch-after-11-years/story-yshbmRPrq81WIQ4BKvcRBL.html|title=2007 Ajmer dargah blast accused held in Gujarat’s Bharuch after 11 years|date=2018-11-25|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2018-11-26|language=en}}</ref> people and injured 17 others.<ref name="Outlook-20100719">{{cite news|last=Koppikar|first=Smruti|last2=Dasgupta|first2=Debarshi|last3=Hasan|first3=Snigdha|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?266145|title=The Mirror Explodes|journal=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]|location=India|date=19 July 2010|access-date=12 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129100253/http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?266145|archive-date=29 November 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Independent-20110112">{{cite news|last=Buncombe|first=Andrew|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/hindu-holy-man-reveals-truth-of-terror-attacks-blamed-on-muslims-2182178.html|title=Hindu holy man reveals truth of terror attacks blamed on Muslims|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|location=London|date=12 January 2011|access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref> Remnants of a mobile phone were retrieved from the site.<ref name="Urban-Terrorism-2009" /> Lalit Maheswari of the Ajmer police stated, "We have recovered some mobile instruments, so we think some sophisticated device was used ...".<ref name="Reuters-20071011" />

===Investigations===

The [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)]] initially stated that the blast could have been the responsibility of Pakistan-based [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]].<ref name="DNA-20071011" /> The media had also initially characterized the attack as part of a conflict between [[Salafi|ultra-conservative]] Islamic extremists against the [[Sufi|Sufi-derived]] Islamic traditions popular in India.<ref name="Urban-Terrorism-2009" />

NIA also filed another charge sheet against [[Swami Aseemanand]], whose confession helped the agency open [[Hyderabad]]'s [[Mecca Masjid bombing|Mecca Masjid blast]] and [[2006 Malegaon bombings|Malegaon 2006 blast]] cases, along with Sandeep Dangae, Bhawesh Patel, Mehul, Suresh Bhai, Ramchandra Kalsangra, Sunil Joshi and Bharat Bhai. According to the charge sheet filed, [[Swami Aseemanand]] conceived the plan to avenge Islamic attacks on Hindu temples.<ref name="ToI-201110109-summon">{{cite news|last=Sharma|first=Nitesh Kumar|date=9 January 2011|title=ATS to summon Indresh after Aseemanand's statement|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-09/jaipur/28354234_1_rajasthan-ats-ajmer-blast-jagendra-kumar-jain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104101512/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-09/jaipur/28354234_1_rajasthan-ats-ajmer-blast-jagendra-kumar-jain|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 November 2012|access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="Reuters-20071011" /><ref name="Independent-20110112" />

[[Prasad Shrikant Purohit]] and senior [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] leader Indresh Kumar among others as co-conspirators. The Swami in his statement also claimed that Sunil Joshi was the operational man and carried out the blast in Ajmer with the help of two Muslim boys from the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] of Pakistan, who were given to him by Indresh Kumar.<ref name="ToI-201110109-mole" />

==Conviction==

On 8 March 2017, a special [[National Investigation Agency]] (NIA) court in Jaipur found guilty three ex-RSS pracharaks, Bhavesh Patel, Devendra Gupta, and Sunil Joshi (who was murdered in 2007).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=acquittedconvicted>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2007-ajmer-blast-aseemanand-9-others-acquitted-3-convicted-by-nia-court/articleshow/57537140.cms|title=2007 Ajmer blast: Aseemanand and others acquitted, 3 convicted, by NIA court}}</ref><ref name=HindustanTimes>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2007-ajmer-blast-case-swami-aseemanand-among-two-acquitted-three-people-convicted/story-djXpxsy547RAVFTIphSTzN.html|title=2007 Ajmer blast case: Swami Aseemanand acquitted, three people convicted}}</ref> Both Patel and Gupta were awarded life imprisonments and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=News|first=TA|title=Ajmer Blast: Former RSS Pracharak Sunil Joshi and two others convicted - Truth Arrived|url=http://www.trutharrived.com/2017/03/ajmer-blast-former-rss-pracharak-sunil.html|access-date=2017-03-09|website=trutharrived.com|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Swami Aseemanand]] and 6 other accused were acquitted, giving them the "benefit of doubt".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Swami Aseemanand acquitted in Ajmer blast case as NIA convicts three|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ajmer-blast-case-nia-court-swami-aseemanand-acquited-4560372/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Indian court makes rare conviction against Hindu radicals over 2007 Ajmer shrine attack|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1319208/indian-court-makes-rare-conviction-against-hindu-radicals-over-2007-ajmer-shrine-attack}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-04-17|title=Acquitted in two cases, Aseemanand still faces Samjhauta case trial|language=en|work=The News Minute|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/acquitted-two-cases-aseemanand-still-faces-samjhauta-case-trial-79690|access-date=2020-07-14}}</ref> At the same time, the court questioned the NIA on its clean chit to two of the other accused, Ramesh Gohil and Amit, as well as "suspicious persons" such as the senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar and [[Pragya Singh Thakur]] stating that it could not be done without invoking appropriate sections of CrPC.<ref name=":0" />[http://www.trutharrived.com/2017/03/ajmer-blast-former-rss-pracharak-sunil.html] [[Pragya Singh Thakur]] later went on to be elected as [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha]] from [[Bhopal]] [[Swami Aseemanand|in May 2019.]]

==See also==

*[[2006 Malegaon blasts]]

*[[List of terrorist incidents, 2007]]

*[[Saffron Terror]]

==References==

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==

*{{cite book|last=Asthana|first=N. C.|last2=Nirmal|first2=A.|title=Urban Terrorism : Myths And Realities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EqWnqdsgZMC&pg=PA188&dq=Ajmer|page=188|publisher=Pointer|location=Jaipur|year=2009|isbn=978-81-7132-598-6|oclc=435375838}}

== External links ==

*[https://swap.stanford.edu/20110604132655/http%3A//www.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename%3DNe150111Coverstory.asp In the words of a zealot…]. ''[[Tehelka]]''. 15 January 2011.

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130927121847/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ajmer-blast-accused-claims-shinde-forced-him-to-name-rss-chief-bhagwat/424426-3-239.html Ajmer blast accused claims Shinde forced him to name RSS chief Bhagwat]

[[Category:History of Ajmer]]

[[Category:Hinduism-motivated violence in India]]