Just in: Supreme Court judge U U Lalit recuses himself from hearing a plea against the removal of Rohini Salian as the prosecutor in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. Lalit said he represented certain accused in the matter.


The court is hearing a PIL by former bureaucrat-turned-social activist Harsh Mander seeking to bring back Salian as special prosecutor to lead the the CBI's case in Malegaon bomb blast case. Salian was removed from the case for refusing to go "soft" on the accused.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu directed the hearing of Mander's plea along with that of the Malegaon blasts victims after senior counsel Indira Jaising mentioned the matter on Wednesday.


Mander in his PIL while referring to an earlier interview by Rohini Salian wherein she had alleged that she was pressured by the NIA to go soft in the Malegaon case has sought court's intervention for a fair trial.


The PIL has alleged that NIA was acting under the instructions of its political masters.


Mander's PIL would heard along with the petitions by victims of the 2008 blasts seeking court's intervention in the matter.


Malegaon in 2008 was rocked by blasts which claimed six lives and left more than 100 injured.