NEW DELHI, Jan 15: A Hindu terror suspect being quizzed for a spate of terror attacks, including the fire bombing of the Samjhota Express, allegedly confessed his crime to the presidents of India and Pakistan in letters that were not delivered by his brother, according to a newspaper report published on Saturday.

Urdu daily Sahara Roznama said Swami Aseemanand wrote the letters on December 20 last year in which he shared his anguish with the two heads of states over the bombings that were falsely blamed on Muslims.

He named key members of the rightwing Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindutva elements in the attacks for which he was the alleged mastermind.

In his undelivered letters he had revealed that his change of heart was prompted by a Muslim boy he met in jail who was falsely implicated in the Malegaon blast. The bombing in Malegaon, Maharashtra, was found to be the handiwork of Hindu extremists following the confessions by Aseemanand.

The letters were apparently sent to Aseemanand’s brother who was asked to forward them to the presidents. The brother did not forward them and the letters have now become crucial evidence.

The newspaper said the letters crucially supported the view that Swami Aseemanand had not given out explicit details of his alleged crime under pressure from any investigative agencies. His confession had caused major embarrassment to rightwing groups after federal police recorded his statement on Dec 18.

Opinion

Editorial

Punishing evaders
02 May, 2024

Punishing evaders

THE FBR’s decision to block mobile phone connections of more than half a million individuals who did not file...
Engaging Riyadh
Updated 02 May, 2024

Engaging Riyadh

It must be stressed that to pull in maximum foreign investment, a climate of domestic political stability is crucial.
Freedom to question
02 May, 2024

Freedom to question

WITH frequently suspended freedoms, increasing violence and few to speak out for the oppressed, it is unlikely that...
Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.