Mumbai: A special MCOCA court on Thursday rejected
the bail pleas of three accused including Lt Col Prasad
Purohit, arrested in the September 2008 Malegaon blast case
after accepting the prosecution`s argument that if released on
bail the accused would indulge in unlawful activities.
Purohit and two other accused - Rakesh Dhawde and Ajay
Rahirkar - had sought for bail stating that they have been
falsely implicated and that since the chargesheet has been
filed in the case their custody was not required further.
The trio and seven others including Sadhvi Pragya Singh
Thakur have been accused by state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS)
for allegedly carrying out blasts at Malegaon on September 29,
2008 that left six dead and several others injured.
The prosecution had opposed the bail pleas stating that
the accused floated a group Abhinav Bharat and indulged in
criminal conspiracy and their main object was to threaten the
unity and integrity of the nation.
"The accused wanted to overpower the Indian government
and create a Hindu Rashtra for which they had indulged in
terror activities. If they are released on bail they would
continue such unlawful acts," special public prosecutor Rohini
Salian argued. The prosecutor further said how the accused had
conspired to do away with certain members of RSS as they were
against the accused`s ideology.
"According to the accused, the so called Hindu
political parties have betrayed the cause of Hindutva by using
it as a political tool," Salian said.
All the eleven accused have been booked under various
sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Maharashtra Control
of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Unlawful Activities Prevention
Act (UAPA), Arms Act, Explosives Act and Explosive Substances
Act.
The court is expected to hear Sadhvi`s bail plea on
January 10. Sadhvi had sought to be released on bail on
medical grounds.
PTI
