Delhi Court Grants Bail to 1996 Lajpat Nagar Bomb Blast Accused

A Delhi court granted bail to Mehrajuddin Bhatt, accused in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar bomb blast case. Arrested 28 years after the incident, Bhatt was declared a proclaimed offender in 1997. The court imposed conditions on his bail, including a travel ban without court permission.

A Delhi court has granted regular bail to one of the accused in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar bomb blast case. The accused, Mehrajuddin Bhatt, was arrested 28 years after the blast incident. He was declared a proclaimed offender on February 19, 1997, and was taken into custody on July 9, 2024.

On May 21, 1996, a powerful bomb blast rocked Lajpat Nagar Market, killing more than a dozen people and injuring several others. The Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF) claimed responsibility for the explosion. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur granted bail to Bhatt, who is also known as Juber.

The court's decision came on Tuesday, July 23, imposing several conditions, including that Bhatt shall not leave the country without the court's permission. The investigating officer informed the court that no incriminating evidence was found against Bhatt during the examination of co-accused Faridabad Dar (alias Behenji) and Latif Ahmed Waza. Bhatt’s name surfaced in their disclosure statements. Bhatt has been a permanent employee of the Institute of Management and Public Administration, Natipora, since 1989.

The court noted that on April 8, 2010, accused Farida Dar was acquitted of conspiracy charges, and Latif Ahmed Waza was acquitted of all charges. Advocate Kartik Venu, representing Bhatt, argued that his client is innocent and poses no flight risk since he has been a government employee since 1989.

Venu also pointed out that Bhatt was allegedly part of a conspiracy, with his name appearing in the disclosure statements of Dar and Waza. Bhatt is not in a position to disrupt the investigation, which relies on documentary evidence. Initially, an FIR was registered at Lajpat Nagar police station, but the investigation was later transferred to the special cell.

Out of 17 accused in this case, four have been convicted, six acquitted, six declared proclaimed offenders, and one has deceased, according to ANI.