Reply to torture claims of Malegaon accused: court

MUMBAI:  The special MCOCA court has directed the Maharashtra government to file its reply on the allegations of physical and mental torture levelled by Sadhvi
Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and other accused
in the Malegaon blast case by December 3.

Sadhvi, Purohit and other accused had on Monday in the court alleged that they were physically and mentally tortured by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials.

Special MCOCA Judge Y D Shinde directed the state to file its reply on the allegations on or before December 3. 

The ATS had on Monday sought the custody of Pragya, Purohit and member of right wing group Abhinav Bharat Ajay Rahirkar to carry out further investigations.
 

However, the court had refused to grant them custody and remanded them and four other accused in judicial custody till December 3.

All the seven accused produced before the court on Monday alleged that they had been physically and mentally tortured by the ATS while they were in their custody.

Sadhvi had told the court that ATS officials had threatened to strip her and hang her upside down if she did not confess to her involvement in the blast.

Eleven people have been arrested so far for their involvement in the September 29 blast in which six persons were killed and over 80 injured.