Malegaon Blast: Mumbai court issues fresh bailable warrant against Pragya Singh Thakur

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday issued a fresh bailable warrant against BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur for failing to attend the latest hearing in the ongoing 2008 Malegaon blast case in which she is one of the accused.

The Court's action came after Thakur repeatedly skipped court proceedings despite earlier orders for her attendance.

Special Judge AK Lahoti noted that Thakur did not appear before the court as instructed. The Court had issued a bailable warrant earlier this month, but it could not be served as the address on record was outdated.

In response, the judge instructed that a fresh warrant be issued based on the new address provided by Thakur's legal team.

"Issue a fresh bailable warrant for Rs. 10,000 against accused number one (Pragya Thakur), based on the new address provided by her lawyer. The warrant will be returnable on December 2, 2024," Judge Lahoti said.

This is the second time this year that a bailable warrant has been issued against Thakur for her non-appearance. A similar warrant was issued in March 2024 but was later stayed after Thakur appeared in court.

The 2008 Malegaon blast, which killed six people and injured over 100 others, occurred when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in the town of Malegaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.

Thakur, currently serving as the Member of Parliament from Bhopal, is facing serious charges in connection with the blast. In October 2023, the NIA court formally framed charges against her and six others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offences including terrorism, conspiracy and promoting communal enmity.

The Court has been conducting daily hearings in the case and the trial is progressing with the recording of statements of the accused under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).