31st witness turns hostile in 2008 Malegaon blast case

MUMBAI: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday declared the cousin of an absconding accused hostile in connection with the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case

MUMBAI: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday declared the cousin of an absconding accused hostile in connection with the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. The witness denied having given any statement to the investigating agencies. He is the 31st witness to turn hostile in the case.

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In his statement to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) given on October 20, 2008, the witness had claimed that he had seen Pragya Singh Thakur, one of the accused in the case, at the residence of his cousin in 2007 when he went to visit him.

Besides, he also claimed that his cousin had participated in the Babri Masjid demolition. The witness had claimed to have seen his cousin riding an LML Freedom motorcycle and that his brother had told him that the bike was given to him by Thakur.

According to the prosecution, the motorcycle was used to plant the explosives, which triggered the blast outside a mosque in Malagaon on September 29, 2008, killing six people and injuring 101.

The witness had further claimed that after the blast, the accused had met him on October 12, 2008. The witness claimed that his cousin was accompanied by another man, who too is wanted in the case and still absconding, and the accused had at the time told the witness that they were being probed by the Mumbai police and they were on the run.

However, on Wednesday, after entering the witness box, the witness told the court that he was forced by the ATS to give the statement and that he had never given any statement voluntarily to any agency. On the contrary, the witness alleged that the ATS had blindfolded and tortured him.