Court adjourns Samjhauta case till Nov 24

A special court here on Tuesday adjourned the Samjhauta train blast case till November 24 dismissing the defence plea that National Investigation Agency should put on record all facts pertaining to the case.
  
Arguments on framing of charges will now be taken up on the next date of hearing, NIA Special Prosecutor R K Handa said after NIA Special Judge Subhash Mehla adjourned the case.
  
Handa said outside the court that right wing Hindu group member Aseemanand's counsel had last month submitted a plea before the court that NIA be directed to produce documents that claim to have revelations of 26/11 terror accused David Coleman Headley's wife and that of Students Islamic Movement of India "showing Headley and SIMI's hand in the cross-border train's bombings."
  
The defence had pleaded that NIA be directed to produce the documents of the US agency FBI with regards to Headley's investigation and another report where SIMI is claimed to have confessed responsibility in the (train) bombings, he said.
  
"Today, NIA filed its reply and opposed the defence plea tooth and nail, submitting that their application is not maintainable and its a premature exercise," Handa said.
  
Since the proceedings in the case are held in-camera, Handa said later that averments made in accused Aseemanand's application "are based on inadmissible evidence, either hearsay or on reference of press clippings, which are not admissible per se in court of law".
  
"The accused requires facts to be proved at appropriate stage when he will lead the defence evidence in the Court. At the stage of framing of charges, the accused has neither the right to produce either any document in court himself nor can he seek directions for production of documents from the prosecution agency, which are not part of the investigations and further also cannot seek directions from the court to the NIA to further investigate the matter as desired by the accused," Handa said.
  
He said after hearing the arguments, the Judge dismissed the accused's plea and adjourned the case.