Malegaon blast case: Pragya Thakur, two other accused exempted from court appearance
Mumbai: A special court here has granted exemption to the 2008 Malegaon blast case accused Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sudhakar Chaturvedi from appearing before it this week.
When the matter was taken up by the special NIA court on Monday, the three accused filed applications through their lawyers seeking exemption from appearance.
While Thakur and Chaturvedi said they are busy with preparations for the upcoming results of the Lok Sabha polls, which they had contested, Purohit cited personal difficulties.
The court allowed the applications.
The court also allowed an application filed by lawyers of the accused persons to visit the blast site in Malegaon, a town about 200 kilometers from here in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.
Last week, the special NIA court, which is conducting a trial against seven accused in the case, had directed all of them to appear before it at least once a week.
It then said an exemption would be granted if cogent reasons were submitted.
Thakur, the BJP nominee from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, said in her application that as a candidate, she would have to fulfil certain procedures of the Election Commission, including nominating her agents for the counting of votes in her constituency on May 23.
Chaturvedi, who fought the election as an Independent from Mirzapur seat in Uttar Pradesh, cited the same reason
KV Online
