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Malegaon blasts: Terror charges against Sadhvi Pragya, Purohit dropped

Malegaon blasts: Terror charges against Sadhvi Pragya, Purohit dropped

by | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics

Col. Prasad S. Purohit, Purohit, Malegaon 2008 blasts, Malegaon blasts,Mumbai : A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Wednesday dropped charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Ramesh Upadhyay and Ajay Rahikar in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

While the court dropped all charges under Section 17, 20 and 13 of the the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act, it however, decided that Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit will be tried under Section 18 of the former act as well as Sections 120B, 302, 307, 304, 326, 427 and 153 A of the Indian Penal Code.

All the accused persons are already out on bail, though all previous bonds and sureties will continue, the special NIA court said.

The next date of hearing has been scheduled for January 15.

The court refused to exonerate Sadhvi Pragya from the charges of conspiracy, holding that she was aware about a motorcycle being used to carry out the explosion.

On Monday, the court had dismissed the petitions filed by Purohit and another accused Sameer Kulkarni, challenging the sanction of prosecution under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and 101 people injured after a bomb tied to a motorcycle exploded in Nashik’s Malegaon town. The Maharashtra Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested 11 people in the case in November 2008. In April 2011, the investigation was transferred to the NIA.

—IANS

Malegaon blasts: Terror charges against Sadhvi Pragya, Purohit dropped

Malegaon 2008 blast prime accused Purohit refused bail

by | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics

Col. Prasad S. Purohit, Purohit, Malegaon 2008 blasts, Malegaon blasts,

Mumbai, (IANS) : A Special NIA Court here on Monday rejected the bail application filed by Col. Prasad S. Purohit (retd.), one of the prime accused in the Malegaon 2008 blasts case.

Purohit has sought bail on grounds that the National Investigation Agency had dropped charges against him under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and the sanction obtained for prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was defective.

He further said that had no role to play in the blast case and that he was languishing in jail for the past seven years without trial.

Opposing the bail plea, the NIA said that Prasad’s arguments should be considered during the trial and not at this stage.

Besides, the NIA said prima facie, it had gathered sufficient evidence against the accused.

Upholding the NIA plea, Special Judge S. D. Tekale rejected Purohit’s bail application.

The sensational blast during Ramzan on September 29, 2008, which ripped through Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated powerloom town in Nashik district, killed seven and injured over a 100.

Besides Purohit, 11 others, including Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur were arrested in connection with the sensational case.

In its chargesheet filed in May this year, the NIA had described Purohit as one of the founders of the right-wing group, Abhinav Bharat Trust in 2006, when he was a serving officer in the Indian Army.

He has been charged with allegedly collecting funds to procure the explosives which were used in the blast, but he flatly denied the accusations.