Sadhavi urges HC for bail in Malegaon blast case; NIA opposes
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, the prime accused in 2008 Malegaon blasts, on Wednesday sought bail in the Bombay High Court on the ground that she was sick and has spent more than five years behind the bars. The prosecution, however, opposed the relief to her.
Sadhvi is accused of hatching the conspiracy with others which led to the September 29, 2008, blast at Malegaon in Nashik district, leaving six people dead.
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur rushed to hospital following ill-health
Senior Counsel UR Lalit, appearing for the accused, argued there was no direct evidence against Sadhavi to implicate her in the crime.
He said the issue of invoking Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case was pending before the Supreme Court and it is not known when the decision would come. Hence, she should be granted bail at this stage.
However, prosecutor Rohini Salian said there was much evidence to show that Sadhavi had participated in conspiracy meetings at Bhopal and Jabalpur organised by Abhinav Bharat where it was planned to carry out blasts. Some witnesses have given statement to police in this regard, she said.
A division bench of Justice PV Hardas, however, asked the National Investigating Agency, probing the case, to point out the material to show Sadhvi’s participation in the crime.
Sadhvi was arrested on October 23, 2008 and sought bail on the ground that she is suffering from spondylitis, tumour and other ailments for which hospitalisation is needed.
While NIA had offered to get her admitted to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai earlier, she refused to undergo the treatment in police custody, saying she wanted to be released on bail first.