Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur but denied any relief to co-accused former Lt Col Prasad Purohit in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.
She has been granted bail on a surety of Rs 500,000 after the National Investigation Agency had granted a ‘clean chit’ to her in May 2016.
However, the court rejected an appeal filed by another co-accused in the same case, former army officer Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, challenging a lower court rejecting his bail plea.
Six persons were killed in the blast in Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated powerloom town in Nashik district in September 2008.
The court directed Sadhvi Pragya to surrender her passport to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and not to tamper with the evidence. She has also been asked to report to the NIA court as and when required.
“The appeal filed by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is allowed. The applicant (Sadhvi) is directed to be released on bail on a surety of Rs 5 lakh. The appeal filed by Prasad Purohit stands dismissed,” said a division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi.
“We have said in our order that prima facie there is no case made out against Sadhvi,” Justice More said while refusing to stay today’s order.
Eight persons were killed and nearly 80 others were injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle had exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008.
Sadhvi Pragya and Purohit were arrested in 2008 and are in jail since then.
Welcoming the order, Sadhvi’s brother-in-law Bhagwan Jha said the family will celebrate nationwide.
