BJP leader Pragya Thakur , a prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, has claimed that the explosion could have been orchestrated by the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India ( SIMI ). The assertion was made by Thakur's advocate, J P Mishra, during final arguments presented in a special court in Mumbai on Thursday.
Mishra argued that the presence of a SIMI office near the blast site suggests the possibility of an "accidental explosion" involving explosives transported by the banned group. The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, claimed six lives and injured over 100 when a motorcycle laden with explosives detonated near a mosque in Malegaon town, Nashik district.
The advocate further alleged that local residents hindered police access to the blast site immediately after the explosion, suggesting a deliberate attempt to shield the accused and protect individuals associated with SIMI. "Whenever there is an incident such as this, people help the police. However, in this case, a large crowd gathered and pelted stones at police, preventing them from reaching the blast site," Mishra claimed.
Despite the prosecution's stance that Thakur and her co-accused, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit, conspired to carry out the blast, Mishra contended that the charges framed by the court did not assign specific roles to any of the accused, highlighting gaps in the prosecution's case.
Thakur, currently out on bail, was absent from the hearing despite the court's previous order to attend.
The 2008 Malegaon blast occurred two years after a similar attack in the town on September 8, 2006, which killed 37 people. In the 2006 case, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested nine Muslim men allegedly linked to SIMI, but a special court later discharged eight of them citing lack of evidence. The 2006 case was subsequently handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested four individuals in 2013, who were granted bail in 2019.
The ongoing trial for the 2008 incident involves Thakur, Lt Col Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), and several others, all charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The case, initially investigated by the ATS, was transferred to the NIA in 2011. The special court framed charges against the accused in October 2018, and throughout the trial, 323 prosecution witnesses were examined, with 34 of them turning hostile.
Mishra argued that the presence of a SIMI office near the blast site suggests the possibility of an "accidental explosion" involving explosives transported by the banned group. The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, claimed six lives and injured over 100 when a motorcycle laden with explosives detonated near a mosque in Malegaon town, Nashik district.
The advocate further alleged that local residents hindered police access to the blast site immediately after the explosion, suggesting a deliberate attempt to shield the accused and protect individuals associated with SIMI. "Whenever there is an incident such as this, people help the police. However, in this case, a large crowd gathered and pelted stones at police, preventing them from reaching the blast site," Mishra claimed.
Despite the prosecution's stance that Thakur and her co-accused, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit, conspired to carry out the blast, Mishra contended that the charges framed by the court did not assign specific roles to any of the accused, highlighting gaps in the prosecution's case.
Thakur, currently out on bail, was absent from the hearing despite the court's previous order to attend.
The 2008 Malegaon blast occurred two years after a similar attack in the town on September 8, 2006, which killed 37 people. In the 2006 case, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested nine Muslim men allegedly linked to SIMI, but a special court later discharged eight of them citing lack of evidence. The 2006 case was subsequently handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested four individuals in 2013, who were granted bail in 2019.
The ongoing trial for the 2008 incident involves Thakur, Lt Col Purohit, Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), and several others, all charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The case, initially investigated by the ATS, was transferred to the NIA in 2011. The special court framed charges against the accused in October 2018, and throughout the trial, 323 prosecution witnesses were examined, with 34 of them turning hostile.
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