Mumbai court has discharged all the Muslim men accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case.
Despite NIA's last minute opposition, a Special Mumbai Court has discharged all the Muslim men accused in the September 2006 Malegaon blast case. Out of the 9 discharged, one is dead, six are out on bail and two are convicted in the Mumbai 7/11 train blast case
Judge VV Patil gave this verdict in the Mumbai sessions court. In the last hearing, NIA had taken a U-turn, opposing the discharge of the accused and contradicting the stance taken by it in the past.
The blast happened on September 8, 2006, killing 37 people and wounding 125. The blasts had occurred in a Muslim cemetery, adjacent to a mosque, on Shab-e-Barat.
“It is submitted that the evidence collected by NIA in further investigation is not in consonance with the evidence collected earlier by ATS and CBI. No evidence was found in support of the conclusion drawn in the final report filed by ATS and the supplementary final report submitted by the CBI recommending prosecution of the nine accused,” NIA said in its 2014 reply.
In this case, known for being associated with 'Hindu terror', there are two sets of accused. The ATS and CBI had alleged that the 9 people belonged to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). These included Noorul Huda, Shabbir Ahmed, Raees Ahmed, Salman Farsi, Farogh Magdumi, Shaikh Mohammed Ali, Asif Khan, Mohammed Zahid and Abrar Ahmed. However, they were virtually given a clean chit after the NIA took over the case and another set of accused, including Sunil Joshi, were booked after the controversial confession of Samjhauta train blast case accused Swami Aseemanand. After Monday's verdict, the eight people, who have spent five years in jail, will be acquitted.
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