Mumbai: Malegaon blast accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit’s counsel on Tuesday quoted a claim made by a suspended Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer, that if two absconding accused in Malegaon 2008 blasts were killed by the agency, it affects the integrity of the agency.
A Division Bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi was hearing an appeal filed by Col. Purohit, seeking bail after the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) supplementary charge sheet dropped charges of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against him.
Other than the stringent law, Col. Purohit has other charges against him, like that of murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language; and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. He is also being charged with relevant sections under The Arms Act, The Indian Explosive Substance Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Advocate Shrikant Shivade, appearing for Col. Purohit, said the post mortem report of the two absconding accused — Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsange (Ramji) — reveals that one died of head injury and the other was shot at close range. However, the advocate appearing for the NIA said the reports can’t be taken on record.
