The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a fresh supplementary charge sheet in 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, on Friday, that was the last working day of the Mumbai Sessions and Civil Court, before the commencement of court vacations. The huge charge sheet comprising of 600-700 pages was then submitted before the judge, Justice S. D. Tekale, who presides over the Court. He, however, is yet to accept it.
“We have submitted charge sheet,” confirmed the NIA public prosecutor Geeta Godambe. The probe had been initially conducted by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in 2009, right after the blasts and who had framed over 16 people for the same, in a Mumbai court. Later in 2011, the case were transfered and taken over by the NIA. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Col. Purohit were the main accused who were arrested. Besides them, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shayam Sahu, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay, Rakesh Dhawade, Jagdish Mhatre, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Pravin Takalki had been booked in the case.
Purohit and Pragya have moved several applications before Bombay High Court and also the Supreme Court, in attempts to challenge and nullify the charge sheet and the applicability of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case. They have also refused to bear the responsibilities in the twin blasts that had happened in Malegaon, back in September 2008, which had incurred around seven lives and resulted into many casualties.
Source and picture(s): Mid-day and other sources.
Tags: Malegaon blasts case
