2008 Malegaon blast: Two accused to face trial under Arms Act

Rakesh Dhawde’s case will be shifted to Nashik, while Jagdish Mhatre’s to Thane court

The special National Investigating Agency court on Wednesday discharged two accused – Rakesh Dhawde and Jagdish Mhatre -- from the 2008 Malegaon blast case, but held they would be charged separately under the Arms Act for dealing with arms and ammunition illegally.

The blast killed six people.

Dhawde’s case will be shifted to Nashik, while Mhatre’s to Thane court.

According to the prosecution, Dhawde imparted training to the accused to make fuse bomb and also illegally sold weapons at the behest of Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit. While Mhatre, the prosecution claimed, sold and purchased arms illegally. The agency claimed, “In 2007, Dhawde sold Purohit’s German company pistol to Mhatre for Rs45,000. Further in April and May 2008, Purohit sold another one-foot-long pistol to Mhatre for Rs60,000. In August 2008, Mhatre at the instance of Dhawde and Purohit arranged for four pistols for Rs2 lakh collectively.”

The NIA claimed there was no evidence to show that the arms and ammunition sold and purchased had any connection with the case. Hence, the agency recommended Mhatre be prosecuted only under relevant sections of the Arms Act. After hearing contentions from both sides, the court has discharged them from the blast case.