Special NIA court issues warrant for Pragya Singh Thakur in Malegaon blast case
Thakur, a Bharatiya Janata Party politician, faces charges in the blast that claimed six lives and injured more than 101 people
Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court issued a fresh bailable warrant on November 13 against Pragya Singh Thakur, the primary accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, after she failed to appear for final arguments. Thakur, a Bharatiya Janata Party politician, faces charges in the blast that claimed six lives and injured more than 101 people.
Special Sessions Judge Lahoti issued a ₹10,000 bailable warrant after Thakur failed to comply with last week's directive to appear before the court by November 13. The matter has been adjourned until December 2 for a report on the warrant.
In the previous bailable warrant issued on November 5, the court noted that Thakur had been absent since June 4, 2024, despite the case being in its final hearing stage. The court rejected her request for exemption, wherein she cited ongoing ayurvedic treatment for body detoxification.
Thakur has frequently cited health concerns to seek exemption from court appearances. In March 2024, a similar bailable warrant was issued following her absence but was stayed after she appeared before the court.
The Malegaon case entered its final stage of arguments in July. The prosecution concluded its evidence against seven accused in September 2023 after examining 323 witnesses.
The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, Nashik district, approximately 200 kilometres from Mumbai. The NIA investigation identified Thakur as the owner of the motorcycle.
The NIA, which assumed control of the investigation in April 2011 under the Ministry of Home Affairs' directive, named eleven suspects in the chargesheet, including Thakur, retired major Ramesh Upadhyay, and serving army officer Lt Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit.