A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Friday cancelled the bailable warrant it had issued against BJP MP from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The warrant was cancelled as she appeared before the court during the proceedings of the case.
Special Judge AK Lahoti had issued the warrant owing to Thakur’s repeated non-appearance in the trial. On Friday, Thakur appeared before the court at 2:50 pm while the proceedings had started in the morning.
Thakur’s advocate Prashant Maggu filed an application seeking the cancellation of the warrant.
Considering Thakur’s “ill-health” and after examining her medical papers, the court cancelled the bailable warrant. The judge noted that the medical certificate on record showed that Thakur is having ill-health and the doctor had advised her to take rest.
Maggu said the BJP MP is not in a position to sit, to walk and even to sign.
The judge saw that Thakur was on medication and found substance in Maggu’s submission as the BJP lawmaker appeared in the court with the help of supporting aid.
Maggu then filed a second application seeking another date for recording her statement under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The process had already been going on since morning for the other accused in the case who had appeared.
The judge saw Thakur’s condition and agreed to record her statement on another date. The court directed Thakur to remain present on March 28.
On March 11, the special court in Mumbai issued a bailable warrant of Rs 10,000 against Thakur for not remaining present during the court proceedings.
Six people were killed and more than 100 were injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Maharashtra’s Malegaon on September 29, 2008. Thakur was among the prime suspects in the case as it was allegedly her motorcycle on which the bomb was placed.
Thakur is among the several sitting BJP MPs whose name was not included from the party’s first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Her name was not mentioned in the next three candidates’ list as well.
Source Agencies
