Panaji: Even as the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) court fast-tracked the trial in the
Margao bomb blast case, the central agency has released the
pictures of four accused who are absconding since the blast,
sources said.
The pictures of Rudra Patil, Praveen Limkar, Sarang
Kulkarni and Jay Prakash alias Anna, are uploaded on the NIA
website, they said.
"We want people to come forward and give information
about them," a senior NIA officer said.
The central agency has chargesheeted eight accused,
including two deceased, in connection with the Margao blast in
November 2009, while four more are absconding.
Two accused namely Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, who
were carrying the explosives that were supposed to be planted
at stipulated locations, were killed on the spot when the
bombs went off.
Six accused, all affiliated to the right-wing group
Sanatan Sanstha, were arrested during the investigation by the
Goa police and NIA.
NIA court in Goa has fast-tracked the trial, which has
been going on since May 2010. The trial is likely to be held
on full-day basis for few days during the next two months.
Meanwhile, Sanjiv Punalkar, the defence counsel said
that NIA`s appeal will yield no results.
"Prashant Ashtekar (one of the six accused in the
Margao blast) had voluntarily surrendered in Margao blast case
after NIA had declared him absconder," he said.
"But despite having bailable charges of destroying
evidence pressed against him, NIA has been opposing his bail
application," Punalkar said, alleging the investigating agency
of political bias and resorting to witch-hunting.
As per the chargesheet filed by NIA, all the accused
had planned serial bomb blasts in the state on the eve of
Diwali in November 2009.
PTI
