Malegaon blast: Sadhvi Pragya moves bail plea

Following the release of six accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has moved the court seeking regular bail.

Earlier on September 9, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice J M Panchal and Justice H L Gokhale had rejected Thakur's bail.

This time around, the Sadhvi is seeking bail on the following terms:

a) No 'specific role' in the blast has been attributed to her;

b) No incriminating evidence has been recovered from her;

c) From October 10-22, 2008, she was interrogated by the Anti-Terrorist Squad only on the point of her (once-owned) two wheeler, which is reflected in the station diaries maintained by the ATS police station at Kalachowki;

d) The ATS arrested her only after recording the confessional statements of two witnesses -- Bairagi and Nahar -- recorded on October 22, 2008.

However, on November 26, 2008, the two accused (Bairagi and Nahar) lodged a private complaint against the then ATS Chief Hemant karkare and others before Judicial Magistrate First Class at Indore in which they have narrated the manner in which they were assaulted, beaten up, threatened and intimidated by the ATS officers at Indore and at Kalachowki and forced to confess before Additional Municipal Magistrate at Girgaum. 

Thakur has also sought parity since three other accused (Sahu, Kalsangrah and Rahirkar) of the 2008 blasts have been granted bail by the high court.

This case will now be heard on December 5 after the National Investigation Agency files its reply, her advocate Ganesh Sovani informed.