2008 Malegaon blast case: Special NIA court likely to give judgment on 31 July

A Special NIA court Mumbai, on 8 May, Thursday said it will likely give the judgment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case on 31 July, noting that the matter has voluminous documents and it needs some time to deliver the verdict.

Almost 17 years after the blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court had on April 19 reserved the verdict for 8 May. However, Special Judge A.K. Lahoti, presiding over the case, kept it for the next date.

The judge told the accused persons present in the court that the case has voluminous documents, and it will take some time to pass the judgment. He asked all the accused in the case to be present on 31 July, the next date.

Six people were killed and over 100 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, on 29 September, 2008.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 323 witnesses, of whom 34 turned hostile.

Lt Col Prasad Purohit, BJP leader Pragya Thakur, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni are facing trial in the case under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the NIA in 2011.