Indore: The briefcase bomb used in the Samjhauta Express blast was allegedly tested in the forests of Bagali in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh.

This was reportedly revealed during interrogation by Kamal Chouhan, a suspect in the case. Kamal was arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on suspicion of planting explosives in the train.

“After initial tests of pipe bombs in Depalpur, the team of explosive experts led by late Sunil Joshi, improvised and developed the briefcase bomb,” a senior NIA officer told DNA.

Chouhan, who was sent on police remand by a Greater Noida court, told the interrogators that the bomb was tested for its explosive power in Bagali.

Sunil Joshi, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange were present when the test explosion was carried out, NIA sources said quoting Chouhan.

“Tests carried out on pipe bombs in a stone mine in Depalpur proved that the bomb was ineffective. Later, Kalsangra, an electrician, worked on it and prepared briefcase bomb,” the officer said.

While probe agencies were investigating Sunil Joshi’s murder wherein Pragya Bharti is the prime accused, the officers were baffled by the two briefcases the Sadhvi had picked up from Joshi’s house.

“Not even close confidants of Pragya or Joshi were allowed to touch the two briefcases,” the officer said, adding Pragya collected the briefcases from Joshi’s house in Vikash Nagar (Dewas) after his death.

“We believe that the two briefcases contained more bombs,” the NIA officer said.

NIA has charged Kamal Chouhan with planting bomb in the train that connected India with Pakistan. Chouhan’s family claimed the tactics to produce him in Noida court was to deny him legal help.