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'Sadhvi Pragya conspired to strike terror in Malegaon'
The National Investigation Agency on Saturday opposed the bail plea of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a key accused in the Malegaon blast case, in the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court.
The agency said that she aided and abetted the other accused with the full knowledge of the terror strike and had offered all support to them.
On November 18, Thakur had filed a bail application in the special MCOCA court for the third time, saying that she had been falsely implicated in the case.
While opposing the bail, NIA's public prosecutor Rohini Salian told the court, "The investigating agency has concrete evidence against her, linking her to the blast. She is the member of an organised crime syndicate and has aided and abetted the other accused with the full knowledge to accomplish the object of conspiracy."
"A motor cycle registered in her name was used to plant the bomb," she stated.
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'Sadhvi Pragya conspired to strike terror in Malegaon'
The application filed by the NIA states that Thakur was in touch with arrested as well as wanted accused Ramchandra Kalasangraha and Sandeep Dange, who executed the blast, and there is enough material against her in the charge-sheet.
Thakur has not made out a case to satisfy the court to hold that there are reasonable grounds for believing that she is not guilty of offences which are leveled against her, it said.
Further arguments over the bail plea would be heard on January 21.
Her two bail applications filed earlier -- one saying that the ATS had failed to file the charge-sheet in time and another one on ground of her ill-health -- were rejected by the court.
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'Sadhvi Pragya conspired to strike terror in Malegaon'
In her latest application, she had stated she should be given bail on the ground of parity as three other accused in the case -- Shyam Shahu, Shivji Kalsangrah and Ajay Rahirkar – had been granted bail.
Twelve persons, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, were arrested for carrying out blasts at Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing six persons and injuring 100 others.
The accused have been booked under the stringent MCOCA and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, besides various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The trial is yet to commence as some of the accused have challenged the invocation of MCOCA in the case before the Supreme Court, which is pending.
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'Sadhvi Pragya conspired to strike terror in Malegaon'
"Thakur, along with other accused, entered a criminal conspiracy to strike terror in the minds of people by exploding bombs in Malegaon," the NIA claimed, adding that Thakur, a member of right-wing organisation Abhinav Bharat "had offered all logistical support required for the blast at the target place and insisted to procure RDX and also offered services of a close confident".
Asking the court to reject Thakur's bail plea, the top agency stated, "There is every likelihood of Thakur committing further offence if bail is granted. There is every likelihood that she will tamper with evidence and witnesses in the case. The probe is still in progress and two main wanted accused are still at large. Granting bail to Thakur will jeopardise the final outcome of the case."