Local people prevented the police from reaching the site immediately after the blast and it could have been done to shield the accused, said Thakur's lawyer, advocate JP Mishra.
The Thane unit of the ATS, with the assistance of the Thane rural police, started searches around 4 am at Padgha and Borivali villages in the district adjoining Mumbai, an official said without giving case details.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been taken into 18-day custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in India. Rana was extradited from the United States after years of legal battles and will be questioned to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the attacks.
Special NIA court judge AK Lahoti, conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been transferred to Nashik just days before the court was likely to reserve the matter for judgement. The transfer order, issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will come into effect on June 9. The order directs the judge to finish judgments in all cases where hearing has concluded and to dispose of part-heard cases before handing over charge. In the last hearing on Saturday, judge Lahoti directed the prosecution and defense to wrap up the remaining arguments by April 15 and was expected to reserve the matter for judgement the following day, a defense lawyer said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun questioning Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the deadly strikes. Rana, who was extradited from the US, is being held at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi. The interrogation is focused on his possible connection with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and his suspected links with the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The Delhi High Court has ruled that an undertrial's prolonged incarceration cannot be a reason to grant bail in terrorism cases, emphasizing the gravity of such offenses and their potential to destabilize the nation. The court denied bail to separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a terror-funding case involving Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. The court considered the accused's argument regarding a prolonged trial and his right to liberty but emphasized that the serious nature of the crime, with its potential to disrupt national unity and create fear among the public, outweighs the length of incarceration. Khan, who was arrested in 2017, has been accused of conspiring for secession of Jammu and Kashmir through terrorist activities, receiving funding from Pakistan, and organizing anti-India rallies and demonstrations. The court highlighted the evidence, including witness statements and documents, supporting the accusations against Khan.
A special court in India has reserved its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six people and injured over 100. The trial began nearly 17 years after the bombing in the town of Malegaon, located in Maharashtra. The prosecution concluded its final arguments on Saturday, marking the end of the hearings. Seven individuals, including Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The verdict is expected to be delivered on May 8th.
Their shared brief: To assert India's case with clarity, rebut hostile narratives, and secure enduring partnerships for global counter-terror cooperation.
The top court said where a person commits no unlawful activity after the invocation of the Act, in such circumstances, he cannot be arrested under it for offences committed before the law came into force, even if found guilty of the same.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for several persons, including former President Pervez Musharraf, who have been accused of involvement in the 2006 killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has congratulated both the previous UPA government and the current dispensation for the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Sibal expressed confidence that the extradition will shed light on the involvement of individuals within Pakistan's establishment in the attacks. Rana is being questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 terror strikes. Sibal highlighted the efforts of the UPA government in establishing the NIA and pursuing Rana's extradition, and also acknowledged the current government's success in bringing him back to India. The interrogation is expected to focus on Rana's potential ties to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, were released on bail from a Navi Mumbai prison on Friday, more than six years after they were arrested. The duo walked out of the Taloja jail after completing bail formalities before the special NIA court, over a fortnight after they were granted bail by the Bombay High Court. The HC granted bail to Wilson and Dhawale on January 8, noting they had been in jail since 2018 and the trial in the case, in which anti-terror act UAPA has been invoked, was yet to start. Apart from Dhawale and Wilson, 14 other activists and academicians were arrested in the case. Eight of them have been granted bail till now, with one, Mahesh Raut, still in jail as the appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against his bail is pending before the Supreme Court. Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy, one of the accused, died in 2021 while lodged in judicial custody. The case pertains to provocative speeches allegedly delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, triggering violence at Koregaon-Bhima, a village outside Pune city, the next day. The Pune police had claimed the conclave was backed by Maoists. The NIA later took over the probe.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Monday issued a bailable warrant against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, for failing to appear before it despite repeated warnings.
Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf's legal woes continued on Tuesday when an anti-terrorism court rejected his application for bail in a case over the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation. Judge Mohammad Ismaeel Baloch of the anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Monday heard the bail application filed by Musharraf's counsel Mohammad Ilyas and reserved his judgment.
The National Investigation Agency court also noted that the warrant was not served on Thakur and directed her to appear before it on March 27 for recording statement.
A Pakistani anti-terror court on Thursday adjourned till January 6 next year the proceedings against seven suspects, including Laskar-e-Tayiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks even as a notice was issued to one of the defence lawyers.
Photographs of Lashkar-e-Tayiba training camps in Sindh and motorboats used by the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai are among evidence presented to an anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven Pakistanis charged with involvement in the 2008 strikes.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has ruled that the government does not need permission from any authority to make public the findings of the probe into the Benazir Bhutto assassination case or judicial proceedings against those accused of involvement in her murder.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court hearing the case against seven suspects, including Lashkar-e-Tayiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who were arrested for their involvement in the Mumbai attacks, was on Saturday postponed till October 3 as the judge conducting the trial was on leave. Judge Baqir Ali Rana of the anti-terrorism court No 2 is conducting the trial of the seven suspects within high-security Adiala Jail in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
A Pakistani anti-terror court on Saturday adjourned for a week the trial of seven men, including Lashker-e-Tayiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as an application filed by them is pending with the Lahore High Court.
A Pakistani anti-terror court has adjourned the trial of seven suspects, including Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case till February 26 after prosecutors sought more time for the Lahore high court to decide a related petition.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday adjourned the trial of Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks till February 17 after prosecutors sought more time for the Lahore high court to decide on a related petition. The prosecution team told anti-terrorism court Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed that more time was needed for the high court to decide on its plea.
A Pakistani anti-terror court conducting trial of seven suspects arrested for involvement in Mumbai attacks, including the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was directed on Tuesday by the Lahore High Court to take into account the views of the accused and redress their grievances.
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Saturday put off its ruling on a plea by prosecutors to declare Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack, and terror suspect Fahim Ansari as "proclaimed offenders" or fugitives till March 26.
A Pakistani anti-terror court on Saturday resumed the hearing into the case against five Lashkr-e-Tayiba operatives, including its operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, in connection with the Mumbai attacks.
Khan will remain in jail as he is convicted in many other cases.
A Pakistani anti-terror court adjourned till August 29 the trial of five Lashkar-e-Tayiba operatives, including its operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
The Bombay High Court has discontinued its monitoring of the investigation into the 2015 murder of communist leader and rationalist writer Govind Pansare, directing the sessions court to expedite the ongoing trial. The decision comes after a report by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) indicated that the investigation has been thoroughly conducted, with only the arrest of two absconding accused remaining. The court has ordered daily hearings for the trial, which has already begun and has seen 28 prosecution witnesses examined as of December 16, 2024.
The Supreme Court of India has expressed concern over the protracted trials in heinous offences related to Maoist activities, stating that indefinite incarceration violates the right to liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. Two separate benches of the court granted relief to two accused, citing the delayed trials. One bench expedited the trial of a man accused of transporting ammunition for a banned organization, while the other granted bail to a man accused of transporting materials for Naxal activities. The court emphasized the importance of speedy trials and suggested the establishment of special courts to handle Maoist-related cases, aiming to expedite proceedings. The court also criticized the practice of examining an excessive number of witnesses, which can lead to indefinite delays in the conclusion of trials.
A Pakistani anti-terror court has directed authorities to complete their investigations against five suspects, including Lashker-e-Tayiba operative Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, accused in the Mumbai terror attacks by May 5.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has once again found himself at the center of a controversy, this time for his comments about Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kamra has been a controversial figure for years, with his comedy often targeting politicians and other public figures. This latest incident has led to a backlash from Shinde's supporters, who have vandalized the venue of Kamra's show. Kamra has a history of making controversial remarks, including heckling a TV anchor on a flight and making comments about the judiciary.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has extended the police remand of three accused -- in a case related to the terror attack on Mumbai -- by two days and remanded another suspect to judicial custody for a fortnight. Anti-terror court judge Sakhi Mohammad Kahut remanded Lashker-e-Tayiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu al-Qama to the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency for two more days during a hearing held in the high-security Adiala Jail.
Prolonged incarceration without trial amounts to infringement of the right to life under the Constitution, the Bombay high court said while urging a special court to expedite the trial in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven suspects linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks has adjourned proceedings till May 8, apparently in anticipation of an Indian court's verdict against Ajmal Kasab on May 3.
A Pakistani prosecution witness on Wednesday recorded his statement against one of the seven accused, who used an international SIM card to give instructions to the 10 terrorists who carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Former prime minister Imran Khan got a major relief on Tuesday when an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan granted him bail till June 8 in eight cases related to violence that erupted at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad in March.
The Delhi High Court has reserved its order on a plea by jailed MP Rashid Engineer, facing trial in a terror funding case, seeking custody parole to attend the ongoing Parliament session. Engineer, a Baramulla MP, was opposed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) who argued that he has no vested right to attend Parliament and there were security concerns. The court said though there might not be a vested right to attend the session, it could exercise its discretion. The NIA also argued that Rashid misused the telephone facility in Tihar jail and that allowing him to attend the session would be a security risk.
The appellant argued though he was held guilty of indulging in preparatory acts for the commission of a terrorist act and recruiting persons for terrorist act, there was no evidence to show he committed such acts.
Earlier in five such cases, the 70-year-old radical cleric had already been convicted for 36 years imprisonment.
A Pakistani court on Tuesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case but he was granted bail in three other cases, amid high drama outside the court premises where thousands of his supporters converged to support their leader.
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