On May 2, the Supreme Court closed a petition filed in 2017 by Nisar Ahmed Haji Sayed Bilal, the father of one of the victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast. The plea challenged the Bombay High Court’s decision to grant bail to Pragya Singh Thakur, also known as Sadhvi Pragya, one of the accused in the case.
The case was heard by a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma. Senior Advocate Ejaz Majbool, representing Nisar Ahmed, informed the Court that the bail was granted by the Bombay High Court on April 25, 2017, stating there was “no prima facie” case against Sadhvi Pragya.
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“The High Court had found no prima facie evidence against the accused, leading to the grant of bail,” said Advocate Majbool.
He added that since the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has now completed the trial in the case, the Supreme Court can close the matter. He informed the bench that the trial court had reserved its verdict on April 19 after nearly 16 years of proceedings.
The Malegaon blast took place on September 29, 2008, in Nasik district, Maharashtra, killing seven people. The NIA court examined 108 witnesses during the lengthy trial.
“The NIA court has recorded statements from over 100 witnesses,” Advocate Majbool emphasized, “and the final judgment is awaited.”
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He also requested the Supreme Court to ensure that Special Judge AK Lahoti, who is hearing the case, should not be transferred before delivering the verdict. Notably, Judge Lahoti is among those listed for transfer, but the Bombay High Court has allowed him to remain in his position until August 31.
Appearing for Sadhvi Pragya, Advocate Avdhesh Kumar Singh stated that the NIA court is likely to pronounce the judgment on May 8. He also mentioned that the court has ordered all accused persons to be present on that date.
“The court has directed the presence of all accused on May 8, when the judgment is expected,” said Advocate Singh.
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After hearing both sides, the Supreme Court disposed of the matter. The Court recorded:
“Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the Special Court, NIA, constituted under the NIA Act, 2008, in Mumbai, has reserved the judgment in the NIA Special Case No. 1/2016 and in all likelihood may be pronounced this month. Hence, appropriate orders may be made in this petition. Learned Counsel for Respondent 2 also acknowledged the said submissions. In the circumstances, we don't find any reason to consider this matter any further. Hence, disposed owing to the aforesaid reasons.”
The case in question is titled Nisar Ahmed Haji Sayed Bilal vs The State of Maharashtra, registered as SLP(Crl) No. 5668/2017. The outcome of the NIA court’s final verdict, expected soon, will be a significant development in the long-standing Malegaon blast case.
