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Malegaon Blasts Case
The Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notices to the seven persons acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, on an appeal filed by the family members of the victims. A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad also issued notices to the prosecution -- National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Maharashtra government -- and posted the appeal for hearing after six weeks. The HC was hearing an appeal filed by the family members of the six persons who lost their lives in the blast against the acquittal judgment. The appeal challenged a special court judgment acquitting the seven accused in the case, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. The appeal filed last week claimed that a faulty investigation or some defects in the probe cannot be the grounds for acquitting the accused. It also contended that the conspiracy (of the blast) was hatched in secrecy and hence, there cannot be direct evidence of it. The petitioners clai
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on an appeal against the acquittal of seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case over incomplete details submitted about the appellant family members of victims. The seven accused acquitted in the case included former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit. Earlier, the HC on Tuesday said it was "not an open gate for everyone" to file an appeal against acquittal in the blast case, and sought details if the victims' family members were examined as witnesses in the trial. On Wednesday, the appellants' lawyer submitted a chart of the details, but the bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad said it was incomplete. The family members' lawyer told the bench that the first appellant, Nisar Ahmed, whose son died in the blast, was not a witness in the trial. Ahmed was, however, allowed by the special court to intervene and assist the prosecution during the trial, he said. The lawyer add
Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur on Sunday said the special court's verdict acquitting her in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case was a victory of Hindutva and a "slap on the face" of people who coined the term "saffron terror". The special court on July 31 acquitted Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and five others in the case, noting that the prosecution had not adduced cogent and reliable evidence to warrant conviction and prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Six people were killed and 101 were injured in the blast in Maharashtra's Nashik district on September 29, 2008. Speaking to reporters at the Raja Bhoj International Airport on her arrival in the city, Thakur said, "This is a victory of Hindutva and religion, a victory of saffron. Our scriptures say 'Satyamev Jayate' (truth alone triumphs), and it has been proved. Those who spoke of saffron terror have been shamed." The society and the country have given a befitting reply to those who coined the term saffron terror, she sai
A special NIA court, which has acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon case, has said the federal probe agency was at liberty to file a separate charge-sheet against the absconding accused Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange on their arrest. In its over 1000-page judgment, special judge A K Lahoti highlighted the probe by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad and the NIA which alleged that the absconding accused had assembled the bomb. The investigating officer of the NIA also found involvement of Ramji alias Ramchandra Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange in the present crime but their whereabouts were not known and they continue as absconding accused in the supplementary charge-sheet filed by NIA. While the ATS claimed that Kalsangra was the one who planted the explosive-laden motorbike at the spot in Malegaon, NIA had said Kalsangra and Dange were in possession of the bike for more than a year prior to the blast. The court noted that as per ATS, the RDX was fitted in the bike in th
A Special NIA court here on Thursday said it will likely give the judgment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case on July 31, noting that the matter has voluminous documents and it needs some time to deliver the verdict. Almost 17 years after the blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had on April 19 reserved the verdict for May 8. However, Special Judge A K Lahoti, presiding over the case, kept it for the next date. The judge told the accused persons, present in the court, that the case has voluminous documents, and it will take some time to pass the judgment. He asked all the accused in the case to be present on July 31, the next date. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. During the trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses, of whom 34 turned hostile. Lt Col Prasad Purohit, BJP leader Pragya Thakur, M
The special NIA court on Saturday reserved the Malegaon blast case for verdict following completion of trial almost 17 years after it shook the communally sensitive town in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008. The prosecution on Saturday filed its final written arguments, with some citation marking the end of hearing in the case, after which special judge A K Lahoti adjourned the case to May 8 for judgement. During the course of trial the prosecution had examined 323 prosecution witnesses, of which 34 had turned hostile. Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, BJP leader Pragya Thakur- Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni are facing trial under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was initially
BJP's Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, appeared before a special NIA court here on Wednesday. She appeared before special judge P R Sitre, hearing cases related to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Thakur's lawyer said that although the court had not summoned the MP, she appeared on her own as she was in Mumbai for her medical treatment. The BJP leader had last appeared before the court in the case in January this year. Seven persons, including Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, are facing trial in the case. A total of eight witnesses have turned hostile in the case so far. Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon town in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. According to police, the motorbike was registered in Thakur's name and that led to her arrest in 2008. The Bombay High Court had granted bail to her in 2017. She is being tried under th
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against a panch witness in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.Special NIA Judge Vinod Padalkar issued an arrest warrant against a witness in the case who had signed the panchnama while the damage by the blasts was being ascertained.The court directed the prosecution (NIA) to take note that witnesses should remain present in the court without fail as the trial is going on a day-to-day basis while the accused persons are directed to be present once a week.Since it is a bailable warrant, the witness would have to pay Rs. 5,000 as bail bond.The court also observed that on many dates only one witness is called by the agency while on others the witnesses do not appear."It is not possible for the court to decide the matter and expedite it as directed by the Supreme Court and for this, the copy of this order will be forwarded to the higher authority of NIA," Judge Padalkar said.On Tuesday, the