NIA to seek police protection for 38 prosecution witnesses in 2008 malegaon blast case


PTI, Aug 2, 2019, 4:47 PM IST

Mumbai: The NIA on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it will be filing an application before a lower court seeking police protection for 38 “sensitive” prosecution witnesses in the September 2008 Malegaon bomb blast.

Bhopal BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and five others are accused in the case. They are facing trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code on terror and conspiracy charges.

The National Investigation Agency made its submission before a division bench of justices I A Mahanty and A M Badar hearing a petition filed by Purohit seeking non-truncated copies of the witness statements that are part of the charge sheet. NIA counsel Sandesh Patil told the bench that out of the 475 witnesses, the statement of 186 are truncated.

“Out of these 186, 38 witnesses are sensitive witnesses. They need to be given protection and their evidence will have to be recorded in-camera,” Patil said. “We are ready to give the accused (Purohit) non- truncated statements of the remaining witnesses,” he said.

He added that the agency will be filing an application before the special NIA court, conducting trial in the case, for protection cover for these 38 witnesses. The bench then adjourned hearing on Purohit’s plea for two weeks.

Six people were killed and 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the North Maharashtra town of Malegaon, about 200 km from here, on September 29, 2008.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Bad timing: Fraudsters call senior Indore cop during press briefing to pull off ‘digital arrest’

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

Ranbir Kapoor says he would love to remake grandfather Raj Kapoor’s ‘Shree 420’

Related Articles More

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Minor girl out with friend raped in MP forest; truck driver, associate held

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

MUST WATCH

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar


Latest Additions

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.