Pragya Thakur finally appears before Mumbai court

April 26, 2024 00:09

Bharatiya Janata Party's Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, on Thursday finally appeared before a special court in Mumbai to record her final statement in connection with the case.

On several occasions in the past, Thakur had failed to appear before the court on the grounds of medical illness.

This prompted the special court to issue a warning, saying if Thakur fails to appear before it on April 25, then she would face action.

On Thursday, Thakur appeared before the special court hearing cases probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but claimed she was still unwell.

Thakur submitted to the court her statement in a question-answer format. She also filed an application seeking permission to put her thumb impression on the statement as she was unable to sign the paper due to sudden loss of strength in her palms.

The court permitted the same.

Thakur, along with six others, is facing trial in the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Indian Arms Act, and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The court is currently recording the statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

These are final statements of the accused before final arguments are made and the case is closed for judgment.Special court judge A K Lahoti posted the matter for further recording of the statement on Friday.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai in Nashik district of north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

The case was initially probed by Maharashtra's Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Last month, after she failed to appear before it, the special court had issued a bailable warrant against Thakur.

She later personally appeared before the court, following which the warrant was cancelled.

The court in the past had warned Thakur of action when she failed to appear before it to record her statement. -- PTI

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