Pragya refuses to sit in court, complains about dust

BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur Friday chose to stand for around two and a half hours in the special court conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Thakur, a prime accused in the case who appeared for the first time before the court after her Lok Sabha victory from Bhopal, expressed disapproval about the chair that was offered, and the state of cleanliness of the courtroom.

The MP, who has been given bail by the high court on medical grounds, entered the court around 12.45 pm assisted by her aides.

Initially special judge V S Padalkar asked her to sit in the enclosure for the accused at the back of the room. Before she sat on the wooden bench inside the enclosure, her aides spread a red velvet cloth.

Thakur sat there with co-accused Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sameer Kulkarni.

Later, when the judge called her to the witness box in the front and asked if she wanted a chair, Thakur said she preferred to stand leaning against the window.

Recess was called after about 15 minutes. When the proceedings resumed, the judge again asked, "I am asking on humanitarian grounds, (do) you want to sit or stand?"
Pointing to the chair offered to her, she said, "This is the chair to sit? If I sit on it, I would end up on bed (become bed-ridden)."