Nine Accused in 2006 Malegaon Blast Case Released by Special Court

One of the nine, Shabbir Ahmed died in jail months ago.

Police officials stand guard at a blast site outside a mosque in Malegaon, 260km (162 miles) northeast of Mumbai on 9 September 2006. (Photo: Reuters)

A special court on Monday discharged all eight Muslim men, including one deceased, who were charge sheeted in the 2006 Malegaon serial blasts case, a defence lawyer said. Of the nine accused, Shabbir Ahmed died in an accident a few months back, Advocate Shahid Nadeem Ansari said. 

Children in Kolkata, West Bengal during a prayer meeting for the victims of 9 September 2006 Malegaon bomb blasts. (Photo: Reuters)

The Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court’s verdict came in the afternoon on the discharge application filed by all the nine accused in that case. They have been discharged.

Shahid Nadeem Ansari, Advocate

The eight discharged are:

• Noorul Huda
  
• Raees Ahmed
  
• Salman Farsi
  
• Farokh Magdumi
  
• Shaikh Mohammed Ali
  
• Asif Khan
  
• Mohammed Zahid
  
• Abrar Ahmed
  

They were arrested and later charge-sheeted for the 2006 Malegaon blasts which left 37 dead and over a 100 injured. They were subsequently freed on bail in November 2011.