Mother of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case, on Tuesday said that her daughter had been "falsely implicated" and was "innocent".
In her petition filed before the high court, Thakur, who is currently lodged in the Byculla jail in Mumbai, said she is ready to incur the cost of both rail and/or air fare if there is any technical or procedural hitch in the same, as her safety and security is paramount.
A Mumbai court on Saturday rejected the plea of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, seeking a direction to authorities that she be taken to Bhopal either by a plane or in an AC compartment of train for appearance in a murder case trial there.
On a petition filed by the National Investigation Agency challenging the verdict of its special court in Samjhauta Express blast case, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued a notice to accused Aseemanand for November 8.
The new Lok Sabha will have 300 MPs who have been elected for the first time to the Lower House.
In the second part of the three-part interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Gatade says that only continuous vigil by people would ensure that the law of the land remains supreme.
Although these revelations are not directly connected to the ongoing investigations into the Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, Ajmer or Samjautha Express blasts case, investigating agencies are keen to find out more since it indicates that there was a clear split in the right-wing terror network.
Investigative agencies are finally looking at the possibility of a Hindutva terror network. Aseemanand's alleged confession and the earlier arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit have shown the trail of the Hindutva terror network, which has turned the course of investigations into the bombings of Malegaon, Samjhauta Express, Ajmer Sharif and Mecca Masjid bomb blast cases.
Meanwhile, Popat Shinde, the prime suspect who also suffered burn injuries in the gruesome incident, has been shifted to Nashik Civil Hospital.
The Nationalist Congress Party on Monday demanded ban on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha and right wing group Abhinav Bharat for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities in the country.
'We want the Commission to finish its work; the issue it is investigating is too crucial for its work to be left incomplete.'
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Monday came in defence of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, prime accused in the Malegaon blasts, and called the imposition of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against them as 'political conspiracy'.
Notwithstanding the Centre's decision to hand over 2008 Malegaon blast probe to the National Investigation Agency, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad on Thursday filed a charge sheet alleging that Abhinav Bharat activist Praveen Mutalik was the key conspirator in the bombings that left six people dead.
The brother of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur attempted suicide in south-east Delhi on Wednesday, alleging that he was being 'harassed' by investigating agencies.Ananth Brahmachari consumed poison and was found unconscious in Jangpura locality on Wednesday afternoon, police sources said.He was rushed to AIIMS where he is currently undergoing treatment, they said.investigating agencies in connection with his sister's alleged association in terrorist acts.
Dismissing her bail plea, a bench of justices J M Panchal and H L Gokhale said, "There is no merit in the petition".
The National Investigating Agency is unlikely to oppose the bail pleas of the nine accused arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case when they come up for hearing this week.
As the Maharashtra government cracks down on the oil mafia in the wake of the gruesome murder of Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane, a 15-year-old report on curbing oil adulteration menace prepared by a former IAS officer is gathering dust at the state secretariat.
Authorities launched a massive crackdown on the oil adulteration mafia across Maharashtra on Thursday, raiding 200 places and arresting nearly 180 people, after an official was burnt alive by the oil mafia.Over 80,000 gazetted officers in Maharashtra also ceased work for the day to protest the killing of Malegaon Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane by suspected members of the oil mafia at Manmad in Nashik district, nearly 260 kms from Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Seven persons were arrested in the murder of Additional District Collector of Malegaon district Yashwant Sonawane who was burnt alive by suspected members of a local oil mafia, as the victim's family demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident.
The confessions of Swami Aseemanand may have brought a certain about of clarity in the Malegaon and the Samjhauta Express blasts cases, but the Mecca Masjid blast case remains far from being solved, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
'It is hard to connect this Hindu terror mastermind over-drive with the Swami Aseemanand of tribal simplicity and boundless energy, whom I have known since the last 11 years and interacted with closely.'
Investigators told rediff.com that the Malegaon blasts will be the key since it is concerned to be the mother of this terror jigsaw as the breakthroughs were first made in that case.
Aseemanand, who confessed to being in the know of the Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta, Ajmer and Malegaon blasts, also stated prior to his confession that it was a boy named Abdul Kaleem, who inspired him to make this confession before the magistrate
Hindu right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand, an accused in several terror cases, has moved a court seeking to withdraw his application to turn a witness in the Ajmer Dargah blast case even as the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad on Friday said it is planning to file a chargesheet against him on April 8.
"The MP police moved an application in the special MCOCA court here, and after taking the court's permission they placed Sadhvi under arrest in the Sunil Joshi murder case," Rohini Salian, Special Public Prosecutor, told PTI.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up on Monday an appeal filed by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, key accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, challenging her prosecution under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case and the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak Sunil Joshi on Tuesday claimed that she was innocent and had been framed by 'non-believers'.
Nine persons, who have been lodged in jail for the last four years on charges of their involvement in the Malegaon bomb blasts, are preparing the sue the Anti-Terrorism Squad for allegedly falsely implicating them in the case, following the confession by Swami Aseemanand of his involvement in it. The blasts that rocked the textile town in September 2006 had resulted in the death of 32 people.
Army Chief General V K Singh said there was no communalism in the service and officers such as Malegaon blast accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit were only an "aberration".
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Maharashtra government on a petition filed by Pragya Singh Thakur, prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, seeking bail.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Saturday made a sensational claim that two hours before the terrorists struck in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare had called him and informed him that his life was under threat from those who opposed to his probe into the Malegaon blast.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said it was premature to have a debate on the links of those involved in Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad with the organisation.
Most names figuring in the investigations of the 2007 bomb blasts in Ajmer, at Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, and in Malegaon hail from Madhya Pradesh's Malwa region. Rediff.com's Krishnakumar Padmanabhan traces the common thread that could have brought these men together.
In 2014, young Muslims became Owaisi fans. But five years of BJP rule and a weakening Opposition have drawn older Muslims too towards the AIMIM chief. Not enough, though.
The NIA has recorded the statement of the owner of a hotel in Panchmarhi in this regard.
While there is a debate still on whether Swami Aseemanand actually confessed on his own after being touched by the conduct of a former accused in the Mecca Masjid case or that he did so under duress, the fact remains that there is a ray of hope among many youths who continue to languish in jails after being implicated in the above mentioned cases.
While investigators probing the Malegaon, Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts say these incidents were carried out by the Hindu right-wing outfits, they say the Nanded blast in 2006 was the first such attempt and a turning point.
She was being shifted from Nashik Ayurvedic Hospital to JJ Hospital in Mumbai following a court order. However, she developed chest pain after starting for Mumbai at around 1.30 pm, her lawyer Umesh Walzade told PTI.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has kicked up a storm over his remarks on slain top cop Hement Karkare, on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party, maintaining that the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad chief's life was under threat and the opposition lent its support to Hindu radical groups.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who is facing charges under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act for her alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, has moved the Supreme Court for bail. The petition is listed for hearing on Monday before a bench comprising Justices J M Panchal and Gyan Sudha Mishra. Pragya's counsel Sushil Balwada has filed the petition challenging the denial of bail by the Bombay high court.
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