Malegaon: NIA does not charge Sadhvi, 3 others

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed draft charges in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case and the agency has neither pressed provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), nor charged Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and three other accused to whom the agency has given clean chit. The agency has charged the rest of the accused under 13 different counts under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substance Act. According to sources, the agency has charged these accused for serious charges like criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt by means of explosives.

The trial against the accused would begin only after the special MCOCA court would take cognisance and frame charges against the accused.

Apart from Sadhvi Pragya, the NIA in May had given clean chit to Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh Choudhary, Shiv Narayan Kalsangra, Shyam Bhavarlal Sahu and Praveen Takkalki and the agency has not pressed for any charges against these accused. On the request of the NIA the court has already discharged Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh from the case.