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.
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.
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.
BJP's Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, appeared before a special NIA court here on Wednesday.
The NIA has said its investigation has revealed Waze and other accused had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Hiran on March 2 and 3.
The hotelier from Panchmarhi, during his deposition in the court of Special NIA Judge PR Sitre, denied making any statement to the probe agencies, said special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal.
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.
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.
A witness who is a former army official turned hostile in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast trial in Mumbai on Thursday.
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.
The cost of such treatment is to be borne by Waze and his family, the court said.
Hiran's body was found in a creek in Thane district on March 5.
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.
I went to the NIA office on my own and was arrested, the police officer said, adding he had not confessed to anything.
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 recovered some "incriminating" documents and electronic evidence such as laptop, I-pad and mobile phones from Waze's office there, the official said.
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.
Waze's letter claimed that in January 2021, another state minister Anil Parab asked him to look into an inquiry against "fraudulent" contractors listed in the BMC and collectat least Rs 2 crore from about 50 such contractors.
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