SC to hear Malegaon blast accused's bail plea on Thursday

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on August 17 the bail plea of 2008 Malegaon bomb blast accused Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit as also another plea that challenged bail to co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

A bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar directed for listing of the matter on August 17 while observing that both matters were based on similar facts and required detailed hearing.

While Purohit has moved the top court to challenge rejection of his bail plea by the Bombay High Court, Nisar Ahmed Haji Sayed Bilal has sought cancellation of bail granted to Pragya Singh Thakur.

Bilal, father of one of the blast victims, contended that Pragya Singh Thakur was a powerful person and could influence witnesses.

The top court had on May 5 sought the Maharashtra government's response on Purohit's plea.

The High Court by its April 25 order had granted bail to Pragya Singh Thakur but rejected Purohit's bail application.

At least six persons were killed in the blast in Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated powerloom town in Nashik district, on September 29, 2008.

The investigating agencies had earlier allegedly attributed the blast to right-wing group Abhinav Bharat.

Eleven accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Purohit, were arrested.

The National Investigation Agency, which probed the case, gave a clean chit to Pragya Singh Thakur but said charges against Purohit were serious.

The NIA had contended that there was evidence to point to the involvement of Purohit in the case.

--IANS

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