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HomeJudiciaryNIA judge underlines bravery of 'real heroes' in Samjhauta blasts case

NIA judge underlines bravery of ‘real heroes’ in Samjhauta blasts case

NIA judge Jagdeep Singh highlights courage shown by RPF ASI Kashmir Singh and head constable Tarsem Lal in rescuing Samjhauta Express passengers after the blasts.

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New Delhi: As he criticised the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for its failure “to connect the accused” with the Samjhauta Express blast case, special judge Jagdeep Singh hailed Railway Protection Force (RPF) ASI Kashmir Singh and head constable Tarsem Lal for being the “real heroes”.

In his 160-page judgment, in which he acquitted four of the accused, including Swami Aseemanand, the NIA judge underscored the bravery and commitment to duty shown by the two police officials, one of whom died while saving the passengers struck in the train after the blast.

The judge said evidence suggested that the “services of ASI Kashmir Singh (since decreased) have been exemplary, who himself took up the courage to save maximum lives trapped in the burning coaches of Samjhauta Express train”.

“…it further reflects that police personnel and armed forces personnel do not hesitate even in making the supreme sacrifices in the line of their duties and such personnel like ASI Kashmir Singh are the real heroes who deserve the highest accolades and the highest awards/rewards for their selfless services towards mankind and it is selfless services of such personnel, which keep all hopes of Utopian society afloat,” read the 20 March judgment, made public Thursday.

At least 68 people, mostly Pakistani nationals, were killed in the blasts on the Attari-bound Samjhauta Express on the intervening night of 18-19 February, 2007.


Also read: ‘Not an iota of evidence’ — Samjhauta judge says NIA failed miserably to prove case


‘Rescuing passengers’

Recounting the sequence of events, the NIA judge said that according to evidence, Kashmir Singh instructed the RPF personnel to check the toilets, passengers’ goods and luggage.

After the train came to a sudden stop, witnesses saw Kashmir Singh and Tarsem Lal “busy in rescuing the passengers from the burning coaches”.

“ASI Kashmir Singh instructed them to take the injured passengers towards the crossing gate and when they came back, they saw HC Tarsem Lal felling down and they lifted and brought him to the crossing gate and HC Tarsem Lal told them that Kashmir Singh had gone inside the coach to search for the passengers and when they again went there, they found ASI Kashmir Singh lying on the railway track which was adjoining to train and they lifted ASI Kashmir Singh and brought him to the gate and they noticed that there was no movement in the body (sic),” said the judgment.

The NIA judge also observed that the Indian civilisation has “survived several onslaughts throughout centuries, which testifies vibrancy of its rich heritage and culture”.

“And, therefore, we need to remind ourselves and the world at large the old Indian phrase expressed in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which aptly conveys that ‘the world is one family’,” added Singh.


Also read: What Samjhauta blast acquittals mean for ‘saffron terror bogey’ in election season


 

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