Purohit to get blast site’s photos, videos

Mumbai: Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, has made an application before the special NIA court seeking for the photos and videos that were submitted before the court by investigation officers during the submission of the chargesheet. The court directed the registrar to give those videos and photos and kept the hearing on November 21.

During the argument on Monday, special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal objected to his plea, saying no other accused had asked for these documents and that this was a delay tactic. He also told the court that it has been seen that one accused asks for evidence copy and other one filed application before HC questioning authenticity of the same evidence. However, special judge V.S. Padalkar directed the court registrar to provide a copy of the photographs and videos of the incident to Purohit. The matter was then adjourned till November 21.

The special court had on October 30 framed terror charges against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, setting the stage for their trial to commence.

Six people were killed and over 100 were injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

On December 27 last year, the special NIA court had dismissed pleas filed by Purohit, Thakur and others seeking to be discharged from the case.