Malegaon blast case: Bombay HC denies relief to Lt Col Purohit, adjourns case for two weeks

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to stay trial court proceedings and denied relief to Lt Col Srikant Prasad Purohit, one of the accused in the Malegaon blast case.

The court adjourned the case for two weeks.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Bombay HC to hear Purohit`s plea challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the high court that Purohit's plea be dealt with on November 21. 

A special NIA court on November 2 had commenced the formal trial against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused after framing of charges under various penal law in the Malegaon blast case. Earlier this week, the court directed that a copy of photographs and videos pertaining to the 2008 Malegaon blast be provided to Purohit. 

Purohit, in an application filed last week, had asked the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to give him copies of photographs and videos related to the incident to prepare his defence.

During the argument on Monday, the prosecution objected to his plea, saying no other accused had asked for these documents and that this was a delay tactic.

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 north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

With agency inputs