What charge applicable against Malegaon blast accused: Mcoca court to prosecution

The special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Mcoca) court, which is conducting the trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has asked the prosecution which charge can be specifically slapped on each of the accused facing trial. The court has posted the matter to February 2, when the prosecution is expected to explain the same to the court.

Special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal, while speaking to dna, said, "The court has asked us to explain in detail which charge is applicable against the accused on trial. The court, after hearing the same, will then decide when the prosecution should file draft charges in the case."

"One of the accused, Sameer Kulkarni, had filed an application before the court to video-record the trial proceedings, which was rejected by the court," he added.

According to the prosecution, Lt Col Prasad Purohit had carried out a blast in Malegaon with 11 others, killing seven people. Purohit, who was serving in Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on November 5, 2008, and has been charged with being one of the main conspirators of the September 29, 2008, blast that happened during Ramzan. He is also accused of procuring the explosives and is alleged to be the founder of the extremist group Abhinav Bharat, formed in 2007 to propagate a separate Hindu nation.