A special MCOCA court hearing the Malegaon 2008 blast case rejected accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur’s bail application on Saturday considering the evidence against her and the satisfactory treatment she was being provided in custody.
“The court accepted our contention that there is ample prima facie evidence against her,” National Investigation Agency’s senior counsel Avinash Rasal said.
The Sadhvi’s ill-heath was one of the grounds for seeking bail. She is at present undergoing treatment for cancer at a hospital in Bhopal. “The court felt that she was being given proper treatment and therefore, there was no necessity for bail, especially since the allegations against her are of a serious nature,” NIA counsel said.
In her bail application, Ms. Thakur claimed that she had sold her motorcycle, which was used in the blast, to Ramji Kalsangra, an absconding accused in the case.
“She claimed that since she had given away her motorcycle, she had no control on how it was used. However, there is no evidence to show that it was sold in 2004. The vehicle documents are in her name and as the owner, she is responsible,” Mr. Rasal said.
The court relied upon statements of witnesses and confessions of some accused persons providing evidence of Ms. Thakur’s participation in conspiracy meetings at Jabalpur and Jalna along with members of Abhinav Bharat. The witnesses have stated that at these meetings, she allegedly spoke of providing two people for the blasts.
