Custody of Malegaon blast accused extended

Special Judge YD Shinde of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court extended accused Ajay Rahirkar's policy custody till December 20.

A special court in Mumbai on Tuesday granted extension of custody of the various accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts case.

HT Image

Special Judge YD Shinde of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court extended accused Ajay Rahirkar's policy custody till December 20, and the judicial custody of the other accused till December 29.

Seeking extension of Rahirkar's remand, special public prosecutor Rohini Salian told the court that the investigators wanted to verify his signatures in some bank accounts.

Rahirkar, who was the treasurer of a ring wing Hindu extremist organisation Abhinav Bharat, has been accused of providing funds for the Sep 29 Malegaon blasts that killed six people.

In a related development, a Kurla magistrate sent Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit, who is also an accused in a forgery case registered with the Matunga Police Station, to judicial custody till Thursday.

A Nanded court also granted extension of custody to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for Rakesh Dhawade, who is also an accused in the Nanded blast case.

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested 11 people, including Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, in connection with the Malegaon blast.