Malegaon bomb blast: Another key witness turns hostile

Another witness was declared hostile in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, in which BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur was implicated. The witness had previously claimed that Thakur strategized with accused Ramji Kalsangra on how to evade police investigation. However, the witness retracted his statement, claiming he was illegally detained and forced to record it. The NIA had also suspected that he may retract his statement.

Mumbai: The special National Investigative Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday declared another prosecution witness hostile in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case. The Bhopal resident was a key witness based on whose statement BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur was implicated in the case.

The witness had in his statement to Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) claimed that he was asked by Kalsangra to meet him at Ujjain where he was scheduled to meet Thakur. The witness claimed that he reached Ujjain early in the morning on October 8, 2008, and went to Thakur’s place. (Getty Images)

The witness was allegedly connected to Thakur and accused Ramji Kalsangra, who is still absconding.

According to the prosecution, the witness was present in the room where Thakur allegedly strategized with Kalsangra on how to evade the police investigation after the bike used in the blast was found to be owned by Thakur.

The witness had in his statement to Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) claimed that he was asked by Kalsangra to meet him at Ujjain where he was scheduled to meet Thakur. The witness claimed that he reached Ujjain early in the morning on October 8, 2008, and went to Thakur’s place.

The witness had claimed in his statement that in the meeting, Thakur discussed how to respond to the investigators when questioned regarding the bike. Thakur had decided that she would reply saying she did not remember whom she had sold the bike to and allegedly claimed that she was ready to be put under arrest, claimed the witness.

Kalsangra allegedly told Thakur to reveal his name as he was the one who planted the bomb.

The witness in the statement further claimed that after the meeting, Thakur left for Surat. The statement further states that after the meeting on October 12, 2008, Kalsangra had allegedly called the witness asking about Thakur. However, after that, the witness in his statement claimed that he had not heard of Kalsangra ever.

The witness had, however, subsequently filed a complaint with a magistrate court in Indore on November 26, 2008, stating that he was illegally detained by Maharashtra ATS and was forced to record a statement before the magistrate court and thus retracted from his statement.

The NIA had also questioned him when subsequently it took over the case. The NIA in its final report had raised suspicion that he may retract his statement.

On Wednesday, when he was called to depose in the case as a prosecution witness, he reiterated his claim that ATS had forced him to record a statement. The witness told the court he was detained illegally for almost a week and he along with three others were mercilessly assaulted. He also claimed that he was forced to sign statement papers and was not aware of what was written in them.