Swami Aseemanand (born Naba Kumar Sarkar) is a self-proclaimed monk and a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist[2] who was accused in the Ajmer Dargah bombing, Mecca Masjid blast, and the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings—[3][4][5] before being acquitted of all charges.
He was inducted into Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu organisation at an early age, and then joined Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram[citation needed] After being arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation, on cues from a primary suspect he recorded a confession, in which he admitted to committing the attacks.
"[21] Human Rights Watch reported that Aseemanand played a huge role in the 1998 attacks on Christians in southeastern Gujarat, where dozens of churches were burnt down or damaged.
During the course of his interrogation, Gupta allegedly mentioned that it was Aseemanand and Sunil Joshi who had brought him into their fold and persuaded him to carry out the attacks on Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid.
Rajasthan ATS was led to track Aseemanand and he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 19 November 2010 from an ashram in Haridwar in Uttarakhand for his alleged involvement in the Ajmer Sharief, Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express blasts.
[27] After a prolonged trial Swami Assemanand was acquitted in Ajmer dargah and Mecca Masjid blast cases by NIA Special Courts in March 2017 and April 2018.
[28] On 20 March 2019, a NIA Special court acquitted all four accused including Swami Aseemanand in Samjhauta Express Blast case.