2008 Malegaon Blast Case: NIA Court Issues Bailable Warrant Against BJP Leader Pragya Thakur

2008 Malegaon Blasts Case: The NIA court issued a bailable warrant against BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blasts case.

File photo of BJP Leader Pragya Singh Thakur

Source : PTI

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday issued a bailable warrant against BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blasts case for failing to attend the proceedings. Special judge A K Lahoti noted that final arguments were going on and the presence of the accused was necessary as he issued a bailable warrant of Rs 10,000 against the former Lok Sabha member.

The warrant is `returnable' by November 13 so Pragya Thakur can appear before the court by then and get it cancelled, news agency PTI reported.

This is not the first warrant issued against Pragya Thakur in this case. In March of this year, a special NIA court also issued a bailable warrant for the arrest of the BJP MP, a prime accused in the blast that killed six people and injured over 100 others. The warrant, set at Rs 10,000, was issued because Pragya Thakur was absent from court despite being directed to appear.

During the March hearing, Pragya Thakur's lawyer cited her poor health and requested exemption from court appearance, submitting a photocopy of a letter from her doctor in Bhopal, which stated that she was suffering from dizziness but could travel at her own risk.

Special NIA judge AK Lahoti rejected the plea, noting that Pragya Thakur had been specifically instructed to appear in court on March 11, 2024, along with a medical certificate. The judge pointed out that neither Pragya Thakur was present nor was the original medical certificate submitted.

Pragya Thakur had missed several court appearances since becoming a Member of Parliament, leading to the deferral of her statement recording under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code due to her absenteeism.

Following this, in March, Pragya Singh Thakur and five other co-accused did appear before the special NIA court in Mumbai.

2008 Malegaon Blasts

The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when explosives placed on a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai, in north Maharashtra, resulting in six fatalities and over 100 injuries. The initial investigation was conducted by the Maharashtra ATS before the case was transferred to the NIA.

The trial against Pragya Thakur and six others is being conducted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Indian Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.