Attempts being made to sabotage Malegaon blast case: CPI(M)

Expressing concern over the claims made by lawyer Rohini Salian that she was asked to go "soft" on 2008 Malegaon blast accused, CPI(M) today said the revelation indicated that serious attempts were being made to sabotage the case under the Narendra Modi government.
Terming Salian's allegations as a "matter of deep concern", the party said there should not be any interference in legal and judicial process.
"It indicates that there is a serious attempt to sabotage the case after Modi government came into office. There should not be any interference in the legal and judicial process concerning these cases," CPI(M) said in a statement.

The communist party said the Malegaon case was among the chain of major terrorist attacks in the country such as Samjhauta Express blast and explosion at Ajmer Sharif.
"These were perpetrated by a Hindutva extremist network in which more than 100 people were killed," the party said.
Salian, Special Public Prosecutor in the Malegaon blast case, had yesterday claimed that the investigation agency had asked her to "go soft" on the accused in May last year.

Twelve persons, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, were arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast case. Of these, four are on bail.

The NIA took over the case in 2011 and later three more accused were arrested. However, they were granted bail in the case by default as charge sheet was not filed against them.
The Malegaon blast on September 29, 2008 killed four persons and injured another 79. Investigations initially cast suspicion on the involvement of minority community in the incident. However, the probe under late Hemant Karkare, the then ATS Chief, suspected the involvement of Hindu right wing extremists.