Terror conspiracy, murder, 11 other charges framed in connection with 2008 blasts that killed six
The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday framed charges against seven accused who were arrested for their alleged roles in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, slapping a total of 13 charges against them. The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 2. The seven accused include Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Lt Col. Prasad Purohit and five others.
On Tuesday, Purohit’s advocate placed an argument saying he wanted to challenge the Bombay High court’s orders passed on October 29, where the court had rejected his plea to stay framing of charges before the Supreme Court, and thus pleaded the NIA court to adjourn framing of charges for four more days.
But the court rejected this application and held that the superior courts have asked the trial court to expedite the trial, and thus decided to frame charges. “The accused hatched a criminal conspiracy between January and October 2008 with a common objective, intention and knowledge — to spread the activities through Abhinav Bharat Organisation, to commit the terror act, to strike terror in the minds of the Muslim community,” the court maintained.
The court further held that the terror was spread just to create communal rift, and thus on September 29, 2008, they committed an explosion by means of an improvised explosive device ‘cyclonite’ (RDX) and ammonium nitrate fitted in a motorcycle. The resulting blast caused the deaths of six persons and injured 101, while public property was also damaged, thereby constituting a terrorist act.
Post the framing of charges, Purohit said, “Though I am signing this document, there is no question on my integrity, honesty or my service.”
Meanwhile, another accused, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, had approached the court stating that in the past, he had filed an application which had claimed that he is not the alias person, Dayanand Pandey, against whom the court has framed charges. The court, however, explained to the accused that now that the agency has claimed he is the same person it has framed charges against, the onus will be on them to prove this during the trial stage.
LIST OF ACCUSED
- Pragyasingh Thakur (47 yrs)
- Ramesh Upadhyay (66 yrs)
- Sameer Kulkarni (47 yrs)
- Ajay alias Raja Rahirkar (49 yrs)
- Prasad Purohit (46 yrs)
- Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi (49 yrs)
- Sudhakar Chaturvedi (46 yrs)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "(Clockwise from left) Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Dayanand Pandey; Sadhvi Pragya Thakur; and Lt Col. Prasad Purohit")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}