Malegaon blasts case: NIA court rejects Purohit’s plea challenging prosecution sanction

A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Saturday rejected 2008 Malegaon blast case accused Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit’s plea, which sought the removal of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) slapped against him.

Special NIA court judge Vinod Padalkar rejected his plea after hearing arguments of Purohit and other accused in the case. The court has set October 26 as the next date of hearing in the case.

The Bombay High Court had also rejected Purohit’s plea last month to restrain the trial court from framing charges against him and other accused in the case. Notably, Purohit had in his plea objected to the Maharashtra government’s move to grant sanction for his prosecution under section 45 (2) of the UAPA.

In December last year, a Special NIA court had dropped charges filed against Lt Col Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five others under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case.

Purohit was among the 11 persons chargesheeted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in January 2009, in connection with 2008 Malegaon blasts. As many as six people were killed and nearly 100 others were injured in the blast that took place between Bhikku Chowk and Anjuman Chowk, near Noorani Masjid, at Malegaon in Maharashtra.

Also Read: Hyderabad twin bomb blasts: NIA court convicts 2 accused, acquits 2