A special court in Mumbai issued a fresh bailable warrant against BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur on Wednesday for failing to attend the latest hearing in the ongoing 2008 Malegaon blast case, where she is one of the key accused. This action comes after Thakur’s repeated absence from court despite prior orders for her attendance.
The court, led by Special Judge AK Lahoti, noted that Thakur had yet to appear in court as required, prompting the issuance of a fresh warrant. A previous bailable warrant had been issued earlier this month, but it could not be served because the address on record was outdated.
In response, the judge directed that a new bailable warrant for Rs. 10,000 be issued based on the updated address provided by Thakur’s legal team. The warrant is returnable on December 2, 2024.
This marks the second instance this year where a bailable warrant has been issued against Thakur due to her non-appearance. In March 2024, a similar warrant was issued but later stayed after she appeared in court.
The 2008 Malegaon blast, which killed six people and injured over 100 others, involved a bomb planted on a motorcycle near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. The case, initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.
Thakur, who represents Bhopal in Parliament, faces severe charges concerning the blast. In October 2023, the NIA court formally framed charges against her and six others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offences including terrorism, conspiracy, and promoting communal enmity.
The trial in the case is ongoing, with daily hearings, and the court is currently recording the statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
