Pragya to walk free soon

A murder case in which she figures is in the final stages of trial

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur being produced in a Bhopal court. File Photo: A.M.Faruqui

Former Akhil Bhartiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) activist Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, will soon be a free person.

The NIA has already dropped charges against her in the Malegaon case, the major right wing terror case in which she was implicated. A murder case registered in Devas, Maharashtra, in which she figures, is in the final stages of trial.

RSS pracharak murder

Pragya is the main accused in the murder of an RSS pracharak, Sunil Joshi, and all other accused are out on bail. The Sadhvi, who reportedly suffers from breast cancer, is in the Pandit Khushilal Ayurveda Hospital in Bhopal, in court custody.

Her counsel J.P Mishra told The Hindu that he would soon move a bail or a discharge application for her when the Mumbai court reopens on May 29.

“We had not moved a bail application so far in the Devas murder case, as Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai does not have good medical facilities. Had we sought bail, we would have had to put her in jail in Mumbai, since she was still an accused there. Now that NIA has dropped charges against her, we will move a bail application at both places,” said Mr. Mishra.

Pragya was an organising secretary of ABVP in Bhopal, and active in student politics. She took a vow of celibacy in 2007 and was associated with Vande Mataram, a social work agency, her counsel said.

‘Hopeful of bail’

She was “never involved” with Abhinav Bharat, and was in need of urgent medical care. “We hope she will get bail now,” her counsel said.

One of the accused in the case, Sudhakar Dhar Dwivedi, had recorded a statement under Maharasthra’s law against organised crime, MCOCA, against Sadhvi Pragya. He later retracted his statement before a magistrate.

NIA’s charge sheet says Dwivedi had told Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorism Squad in 2008 that Pragya had asked him to contact Lt. Col Purohit to arrange explosives for the safety of Hindus.

“It is evident that the accused, Dwivedi, retracted his confessional statement in front of magistrate. Since provisions of MCOC Act are not being invoked in this charge sheet by NIA, this confessional statement does not have any evidentiary value,” the charge sheet says.