A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has issued a bailable warrant against prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur. This decision was made following the noticeable absence of Thakur in court since June 4, 2024.
The warrant amounts to Rs 10,000 and requires her to appear in court before November 13 to prevent further legal complications.
The NIA court raised eyebrows over her repeated absence and questioned the authenticity of the medical certificates which she provided to excuse herself. The court also observed that her presence is crucial as the trial enters its final stages.
Health issues, claims Thakur
Thakur reacted to the warrant through social media platform X by posting her “health issues”. She claimed to be experiencing several adverse health complications such as brain edema, loss of vision, and other conditions that she attributed to the medication she received while in custody.
“Not only ATS custody, but it became the cause of fatal pain for me throughout my life. Swelling in the brain, poor vision, poor hearing, imbalance in speech, swelling in the entire body due to steroids and neuro medicines, I am undergoing treatment in a hospital. If I remain alive, I will surely go to the court, she wrote on X.
Malegaon’s blast trial
A deadly blast took place in Maharashtra’s Malegaon on September 29, 2008, that resulted in the deaths of six people and injured over 100 others. The bomb was reportedly placed on the Thakur’s motorcycle which exploded near a mosque, approximately 200 kilometres from Mumbai.
The case, initially investigated by the Anti-Terrorism Squad, was transferred to the NIA in 2011. In October 2018, charges were framed against the accused members. Since then, the trial has examined 323 prosecution witnesses with 34 of them turning hostile.
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