Government going soft in terror cases: Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday accused the Modi government of "going soft" on terror cases after the Supreme Court granted bail to former Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, the main accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts.

Owaisi said a terror accused like Purohit should not be "glorified as is being attempted by some people".

"There is a pattern in such cases (involving alleged Hindutva terrorists) ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has come to power. The government is not appealing against the bails and acquittals. Is it going soft in such cases?" Owaisi asked on India Today TV.

"Also, public prosecutor Rohini Saliyan has alleged that she was being pressurised by the NIA (National Investigation Agency) officers to dilute the case," he said.

Seven persons were killed in an explosion in Malegaon in Nashik district in Maharashtra on September 29, 2008.

The investigating agencies had earlier attributed the blast to Abhinav Bharat.

On April 25, the Bombay High Court had granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the same case, while it rejected Purohit's bail.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh said Purohit's bail was "expected" as the Modi government was "protecting all the accused connected with RSS".

The Congress leader also cast aspersion over the NIA's neutrality in the case.

"The NIA chief has been given two extensions to ensure their acquittal. He may now be further rewarded for a suitable post retirement position," he added.

--IANS

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