The 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, spanning nearly 17 years, was marked by changes in investigating agencies and five different judges, contributing to significant delays, according to victims and accused.
Two other accused in the case -- suspended police constable Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gor -- were remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the court.
Two officials of the Maharashtra ATS on Thursday left the special court in Mumbai which is conducting the trial of the 2008 Malegaon blast case after the defence lawyers objected to their presence.
A witness who is a former army official turned hostile in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast trial in Mumbai on Thursday.
The victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast case have written to the chief justice and registrar of Bombay high court requesting them to extend the tenure of special NIA judge PR Sitre, who has been presiding over the trial since August 2020.
A special NIA court in Mumbai conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case on Tuesday directed all the seven accused, including BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, to appear before it on December 3.
While five accused remained present in the court, judge P R Sitre expressed displeasure over the absence of two others. The court then directed all the seven accused to appear before it on January 4.
Hiran's body was found in a creek in Thane district on March 5.
Thakur, who is one of the seven accused in the case being probed by the NIA, appeared before the court on Monday. On Tuesday, Special Judge P R Sitre granted exemption to Thakur after her lawyer J P Mishra filed a written application, citing the MP's difficulty in travelling in Mumbai regularly due to health and security concerns.
I went to the NIA office on my own and was arrested, the police officer said, adding he had not confessed to anything.
The recovered some "incriminating" documents and electronic evidence such as laptop, I-pad and mobile phones from Waze's office there, the official said.
Thakur had appeared before the court in June last year after it ordered the seven accused to remain present once a week. She later sought exemption from appearance on various occasions since then.
The NIA also conducted a raid at the residence of Shiv Sena leader and former 'encounter specialist' of Mumbai Police, Pradeep Sharma in connection with the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren murder case on Thursday, sources said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances