Samjhauta Express blasts probe still on: Govt

The Centre on Wednesday said the probe into the Samjhauta Express train bomb blasts, in which 43 Pakistani nationals were killed, was still on to find out the identities of all perpetrators of the crime.

A day after the India-Pakistan home secretary-level talks, where Islamabad wanted to know the progress of the case, the home ministry said the National Investigation Agency conducted a "painstaking" investigation into the 2007 bomb attack case.

The investigators visited a number of states at different locations and also involved experts from the forensic science and the railways in their probe.

"A breakthrough in the case was achieved in December 2010 on the arrest of a key conspirator, who confessed not only to his involvement in the criminal conspiracy but also divulged names of co-conspirators, who had caused the blasts. We are still investigating," the home ministry said in a statement.

The blasts took place in two coaches of the Samjhauta Express in the intervening night of February 18 and 19, 2007, near Panipat in Haryana. Sixty-eight people were killed in the blast, and 12 others were injured. Out of the 68 who died, 15 bodies could not be identified and out of the 53 identified bodies, 43 were of Pakistani nationals. Out of 12 injured persons, 10 were Pakistani nationals.

On Monday and Tuesday, during the home secretary-level talks, Pakistan wanted to know the progress of the case and the Indian side conveyed that the probe was still on and when it would be completed, the same would be shared with Islamabad.

Right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand, who is currently in jail, had in his confessional statement admitted his involvement in the blast and divulged the names of co-conspirators who had caused the blasts. According to the forensic investigation, low intensity explosive materials were used in an improvised manner kept in suitcases with incendiary oil kept in bottles.