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  2008 Malegaon blasts: Despite NIA’s clean chit, no bail for Sadhvi Pragya

2008 Malegaon blasts: Despite NIA’s clean chit, no bail for Sadhvi Pragya

Published : Jun 29, 2016, 2:23 am IST
Updated : Jun 29, 2016, 2:23 am IST

In a huge setback to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, despite a clean chit from the NIA, the special court in Mumbai on Tuesday rejected her bail application in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (Photo: PTI)
 Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (Photo: PTI)

In a huge setback to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, despite a clean chit from the NIA, the special court in Mumbai on Tuesday rejected her bail application in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

Raising questions on the NIA giving her a clean chit, special judge Shripad Tekale said: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that accusations against Pragya are prima facie true. It is difficult to accept the (bail plea) merely on the ground that the NIA has given a clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya.”

Thakur, who was arrested on October 23, 2008, had filed the bail plea after the NIA, in its chargesheet filed on May 13, said there was no evidence to prosecute her in the blast case. The NIA also gave a clean chit to four other accused.

The prosecution didn’t oppose the bail plea, saying it was relying on the chargesheet filed by the NIA, which had given a clean chit to the applicant as it did not find any evidence against her.

However, Syed Nisar Ahmed, a resident of Malegaon, whose son Bilal died in the blast, filed an intervention application and opposed the bail plea through advocate Khan Abdul Wahab and Shaikh Sharif Ahmed.

Advocate Khan said the court had pulled up the NIA, saying the agency, that took over the case in 2011, had launched a “fresh investigation” instead of taking forward the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad’s work on the case.

Judge Tekale’s order said: “It cannot be said that due to filing of a further report by NIA there is any change in the circumstances. If this is the position (of NIA), then merely on the ground that the NIA has given no objection, it is difficult to accept the prayer (bail) of the applicant.”

The judge said there were reasonable grounds to believe the accusations were prima facie true.

Advocate Khan said the court accepted their arguments that even if MCOCA was dropped, the co-accused’s confession could still be relied on. On the motorcycle used in the blast, the judge said: “At this stage, she can’t avoid her connection with it, being registered in her name.”