Court grants bail to accused in Pulwama attack conspiracy case

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) A Delhi court has granted bail to an accused in the Pulwama attack conspiracy case after the National Investigating Agency (NIA) failed to file the chargesheet within the prescribed period.

Special NIA Judge Parveen Singh, in an order pronounced on February 18, observed that accused Yusuf Chopan is entitled to statutory bail.

The bail was granted after Chopan's counsel apprised the court that his client is in custody since the last 180 days and the time for filing chargesheet has elapsed.

The accused has been asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of like amount. Inter alia, he has also been directed to join the investigation as and when called.

He has been directed not to commit any similar offence, tamper with evidence, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case.

Forty CRPF personnel, travelling in a convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama district, were killed on February 14 last year when a suicide bomber rammed a car loaded with explosives into a CRPF bus in Awantipora's Goripura.

Following the attack, banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility and even released a video of the purported attacker.