Mumbai: Farogh Iqbal Magdumi, one of the
nine accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, lodged in the
Arthur Road jail here, has been on a hunger strike for the
last two weeks demanding that the trial be started.
"Magdumi says he is innocent and he should be let off,
or the trial be started, so that he can defend himself. He
says till then he would not end his hunger strike," said a
senior police officer.
"He is under continuous observation and was administered
saline. His health condition is good. We have informed the
special MCOCA court. He has also demanded that a government
representative should meet him and assure him that his appeals
would be looked into," the IPS official added.
Magdumi`s lawyer, advocate Jaleel Ahmed confirmed that
his client had been on hunger strike.
"He is also demanding that the case should be
fast-tracked. When he was brought to MCOCA court last week, he
was not even in the position to walk," advocate Ahmed said.
Thirty-five people were killed in the blast in the
powerloom city of Malegaon in Nashik district in September
2006.
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad filed a chargesheet in
the case in December 2006.
But the case was subsequently handed over to the CBI
which also submitted a chargesheet last February.
"The case has now been handed over to National
Investigation Agency (NIA) in April this year. We are not sure
when the trial will begin as the NIA has no designated court
here yet," advocate Ahmed added.
PTI
