2008 Malegaon blast victim seeks dismissal of NIA charge sheet

Nisar Ahmed Sayyed Bilal, one of those injured in the September 2008 blast at Malegaon in north Maharashtra, has moved a special court here seeking rejection of the charge sheet filed by NIA which gives a clean chit to sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five others. 

"The investigating officer has to only investigate and not appreciate the evidence," says the application, adding there was no need for the NIA to re-examine the witnesses. The agency did not try to collect additional evidence but made efforts only to show the contradictions in the earlier charge sheet, it alleges. The application is likely to be heard on June 10. 

NIA, in its charge sheet filed on May 13, dropped all the charges against Pragya and five others citing lack of evidence. The agency also revoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the remaining accused. 

Seven people were killed in a blast at Malegaon, a predominantly Muslim town, on September 29, 2008.