The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Mumbai): A special court in Mumbai, acknowledging the health concerns of Pragya Singh Thakur, withdrew a bailable warrant against her this Friday. Initially, the court had demanded her presence over the 2008 Malegaon bombing incident, issuing a Rs 10,000 bailable warrant due to her absence.
On March 11, a warning was issued to Thakur, a Bhopal BJP MP implicated in the tragic event of September 2008 in Malegaon, for her failure to appear in court. Special Judge A.K. Lahoti had ordered her to present herself by March 20. However, Thakur did not comply, citing her hospitalization in a Mumbai private facility. Consequently, the court decided to pause the warrant’s execution pending her discharge.
Upon her Friday appearance, supported by aides due to her health, Thakur, through her lawyer, sought the warrant’s revocation. The court, having examined her medical documents, agreed to her request. The judge remarked, “Considering the ill-health of accused No. 1 (Thakur) and perusal of medical papers which show that she could not remain present on the scheduled dates.”
Her inability to sit, walk, or sign was documented in her application, a claim the court found to be credible based on her condition and the supporting evidence she presented. The directive now is for Thakur to record her final statement on March 28 as part of her ongoing trial.
Thakur, along with six others, is being tried under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This trial, presided over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, involves recording the statements of the accused under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The incident at the heart of this trial occurred on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device on a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon, a town approximately 200 km from Mumbai, in north Maharashtra. The blast resulted in the death of six individuals and injuries to over 100. Initially handled by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the investigation was transferred to the NIA in 2011, marking a pivotal moment in the case’s progression.