2006 Malegaon blast case: Bombay HC quashes charges against four accused, discharges them
2006 Malegaon blast case: In a significant breakthrough, Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed all the charges against all four accused and discharged them in the 2006 Malegaon blast case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Shyam Chandak allowed the appeals filed by the four accused - Rajendra Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria and Lokesh Sharma — against the special court order framing charges against them.
The September 8, 2006 blasts occurred at a Muslim cemetery in Malegaon, in Nashik district, during Shab-e-Baraat (a sacred night in Islam observed on the 15th night of Sha'ban - the eighth month - where Muslims pray for forgiveness, recite the Quran, and seek blessings for the coming year).
In a swift action into the case, the Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested nine individuals However, a special MCOCA court granted them bail in 2012. The case initially investigated by the ATS was handed over to the CBI, which also supported the state agency's findings at that time.
In a swift action into the case, the Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested nine individuals However, a special MCOCA court granted them bail in 2012. The case initially inestigated by the ATS was handed over to the CBI, which also supported the state agency's findings at that time.
However in a dramatic twist, the NIA, after taking over the investigation, arrested four different accused and alleged separate conspiracy and were subsequently chargesheeted. They were later granted bail by High Court.
With the discharge of the four accused, the case now stands at a dead end, with no one held accountable for one of Maharashtra’s deadliest terror attacks.
- With inputs from agencies
