The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Maharashtra government on a plea challenging the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur , an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
A Bench led by Justice R.K. Agarwal also listed the bail plea of Thakur’s co-accused Shrikant Purohit for August 14.
The petition challenging the bail for Thakur was filed by Nisar Ahmed Haji Sayed Bilal, father of some of the blast victims. It wants a stay of the April 25 High Court order.
“The High Court failed to appreciate that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is an influential person and is likely to wield her power and influence in an illegal and unlawful manner to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses,” the petition contended.
But in an affidavit, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) countered that it had not found “sufficient evidence” to prosecute Thakur. However, on the other hand, the agency contended that there were “several incriminating circumstances” against Purohit to prove “his deep involvement and complicity in the crime.”
Thakur was granted bail by the High Court, which, however, had refused a similar relief to Purohit. The NIA contended that there was no question of parity between the two accused and the High Court did not err in granting bail to Thakur.
Seven persons were killed in a bomb blast on September 29, 2008, at Malegaon.
