SC Asks Bombay HC to Hear Malegaon Blast Accused Purohit’s Plea

The trial against Purohit is likely to proceed after Bombay High Court’s decision.

Photo of 2008 Malegaon blast case accused Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Anupam Kher)

The Supreme Court, on 19 November, has asked Bombay High Court to rule on terror charges against 2008 Malegaon blast accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit.

The trial against Purohit is likely to proceed after the Bombay High Court’s decision.

The National Investigating Agency on 15 November filed its reply to an application by Col Purohit seeking documents related to the case in "untruncated" form.

Purohit, in his application, filed earlier this week, had said documents supplied to him by the prosecution did not have names of witnesses and most of it were in truncated form.

The NIA's reply was filed Thursday before special judge VS Padalkar by special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal.

The special public prosecutor told in court that the accused had been provided with documents in accordance with the law.

The judge adjourned the matter till 19 November for arguments on whether the accused is entitled to get documents in “untruncated” form.

The special court had, on 30 October, framed terror charges against Lt Col Prasad 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 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, about 200 km from Mumbai, on 29 September 2008.

(With inputs from PTI)