21-Apr-2025 08:09 PM
2375
Mumbai, Apr 21 (Reporter) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday sought conviction of all the accused persons, including ex-MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (BJP), for their involvement in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.
All the accused face charges of terrorism and murder along with relevant sections under Explosive Substance Act.
The Special Public Prosecutor has filed 1,389 pages written arguments stating each fact and circumstance in detail and sought punishment for all the accused ranging from death penalty to life sentences.
The special NIA court on Saturday concluded the trial and reserved the case of judgment.
The Prosecution filed its final written arguments, with some citations marking the conclusion of the trial.
Special judge A K Lahoti, presiding over the case, has now adjourned the case to May eight for judgement.
The Prosecution had examined 323 prosecution witnesses, of which 34 turned hostile.
The case was initially probed by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), Maharashtra, before being transferred to NIA in 2011. The NIA, after taking over the case, filed a chargesheet in 2016.
The accused in the case include Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Pragya Singh Thakur, Sudhakar Diwedi, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni, all of whom are out on bail.
Notably, on September 29, 2008, an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle exploded in sensitive Malegaon town of Nashik district, in which six people were killed and over 100 others injured...////...