|
Malegaon:
In a significant development for the release of the
nine Muslim men who were arrested in the 2006 Malegaon blast case,
National Investigation Agency (NIA) today told a special court
that it does not have any objections if they are released on bail.
"The National Investigation Agency
(NIA) in a written response to the bail applications filed by the
nine accused today informed the Special MCOCA Court that it does
not have any objection if the accused are released on bail", one
of the defence counsels Advocate Nehal Ansari who is in
Mumbai said to ummid.com on phone.
"The NIA was also expected to file
today the progress report on its investigations but it said it
would file the complete report in later days", Advocate Ansari
said.
"The NIA in its reply said that
their investigations are still on and till now they have not found
anything against these Muslim men and there is no reason left to
keep them behind bar", he added.
The Special Maharashtra Control of
Organised Crime ACT (MCOCA) Court is expected to give its order
after the NIA response by 04:00 today in the afternoon.
A series of blasts struck
Malegaon on September 08 in 2006 ahead of Shab-e-Barat, a
Muslim festival when thousands of people were busy offering Friday
prayers at the Hamidia Masjid. Another blast occurred at nearby
Mushawerat chowk few minutes later. 37 people were killed and
more than 300 were injured in the blasts, most of them being
children.
The MCOCA Court had on October 31
directed the NIA t file its response to the bail applications
filed separately by the eight accused and Abrar Ahmed on November
04. However, the case was re-scheduled for today. While eight
accused had filed their bail application on October 01, 2011, Abrar Ahmed filed the bail plea a few days later.
Local Muslims in Malegaon including
the victims since the day one had maintained that the arrested
Muslim men were innocent. They in fact carried one of the longest
campaign in the history of the town demanding arrest of the actual
perpetrators and release of the innocents.
The 2006 Malegaon blast case was
earlier investigated by the Maharashtra ATS which had
charge-sheeted the nine Muslim youth for allegedly conspiring the
attacks.
The case was later handed over to the CBI and later to
the NIA.
Earlier, the case took a surprising turn when Swami Aseemanand, allegedly involved in Ajmer, Mecca Masjid and
Samjhuata Express blasts, confessed that Hindu extremists, some of
them already wanted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, were
also behind the 2006 Malegaon blast.
|
Comments
|
Quick links