What happened in Malegaon and what is current status?

  • | Saturday | 18th August, 2018

In the start of 2011, the agency again filed another supplementary charge sheet against the accused. Accordingly a charge sheet was filed against eleven people in January 2009. The investigation in the case was carried out by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) which was led by Hemant Karkare. The ATS's theory said that the prime objective of the blast was to retaliate to the Jihadi attacks of the Malegaon 2006 blasts. Currently all the accused are on bail and the court is about to start with its trial in the case.

On September 29,2008 an explosive was planted in a LML motor cycle opposite Shakil goods transport in Malegaon which had claimed six lives and had injured 101 people. The investigation in the case was carried out by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) which was led by Hemant Karkare. Inquiry in the case unearthed the alleged involvement of the Hindu terror group, Abhinav Bharat. The first arrest was of Sadhavi Pragya Singh Thakur. The further probe in the case took these officials to several cities including Pune, Nashik, Bhopal and Indore. The visits to these cities led to the arrests of Army officer Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit and retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay were arrested. The ATS found that the conspiracy in the case was allegedly conspired with the prime role of the self proclaimed Hindu spiritualist Sudhakar Dwivedi. The ATS's theory said that the prime objective of the blast was to retaliate to the Jihadi attacks of the Malegaon 2006 blasts. The ATS arrested Pragya Singh, Shiv Narayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu, Lt.Col.Prasad Purohit and seven others till November 2008. Accordingly a charge sheet was filed against eleven people in January 2009. In the start of 2011, the agency again filed another supplementary charge sheet against the accused. However suddenly in April 2011, the investigation in the case was transferred to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), which came up with a fresh additional charge sheet. NIA arrested Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh. In the year 2015, the Apex court of the country directed the trial courts to consider if the stringent MCOCA charges are applicable in the case. Meanwhile all the accused filed for their bails on the grounds that the NIA did not oppose the bail of Sadhavi on the grounds that there was no evidence that was available and subsequently other accused too were granted bail. Currently all the accused are on bail and the court is about to start with its trial in the case. According to the NIA, the Maharashtra ATS's probe into the case was "incoherent" and "riddled with gaps or loopholes." NIA's counsel Sandesh Patil in 2017, had informed the Bombay High Court that though the "ATS' theory of terrorism was correct, its probe wasn't conducted properly. Role of right wing organizations and their stand on terror accusations heaped on them.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Mumbai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles