Malegaon Blast: Pragya Thakur Gets Exemption From Court Appearance

Thakur’s lawyer pleaded exemption on the grounds of health concerns and public duty as an MP.

BJP MP Pragya Thakur appeared before a special NIA court on 4 January.

(Photo: PTI)

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Tuesday, 5 January, granted exemption from regular appearance to BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur in the Malegaon blast case of 2008.

Thakur is one of the seven accused being probed in the case and appeared in court on Monday, 4 January.

The court granted exemption to Thakur after her lawyer JP Mishra filed a written application, citing the MP's difficulty in travelling regularly due to health and security concerns.

"Thakur has multiple illnesses and is undergoing treatment at AIIMS. Even while she was in Mumbai (yesterday), she had undergone some tests at Kokilaben Hospital where doctors told her she was having multiple complications and needed to be treated by a team of doctors," the lawyer said in the application.

He also cited that Thakur is an elected representative and has her duties to adhere to.

Special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal said judge Sitre considered Thakur's plea and exempted her from regular appearance, and asked her to remain present in the court as and when required.

On 29 September 2008, six people were killed and over 100 others injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went-off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra.

(With inputs from PTI)