2008 Malegaon blasts: NIA court rejects Sadhvi Pragya’s bail plea

In her bail application, Pragya had contended that there is no evidence against her.

New Delhi:

A special NIA court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of 2008 Malegaon blasts accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

Pragya's lawyer Prashant Maggu filed the bail plea earlier on May 30 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) decided to drop her name from the list of accused in its chargesheet.

The NIA, in its charge sheet filed on May 13, had dropped all the charges against Pragya and five others -- Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Shyam Sahu, Shiv Narayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takkalki-- citing lack of evidence.

The agency also dropped charges against her under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

In her bail application, Pragya had contended that there is no evidence against her. Though the motor-cycle used in the blast was owned by her, she cited a witness’ statement which claimed that it was in the possession of Ramchandra Kalsangra, an absconding accused.

Some of the witnesses whose statements were used to implicate her later recanted and filed complaints of torture by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the application adds.

Seven people were killed and another 101 injured in a blast at Malegaon, a predominantly Muslim town in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. The NIA took over the case in 2011.