NIA may reduce number of witnesses.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that it will consider reducing the number of witnesses in the 2008 Malegaon blasts trial. Six persons were killed and more than a 100 injured in a series of bomb blasts in Malegaon in Nashik district of Maharashtra.
The counsel for the agency, Sandesh Patil, informed a Division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jamadar that originally there were 491 witnesses in the case, out of which 188 had been examined.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, who is an accused in the case, challenging the sanction granted to prosecute him. He filed the plea under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (prosecution of judges and public servants), and said as an Army officer he was discharging his official duty by gathering intelligence.
Advocate Shrikant Shivade, appearing for Mr. Purohit, said certain documents had been made available after the special court rejected his discharge plea, and requested the court to remit this petition back to the special court so that a fresh hearing could be held. Mr. Patil opposed the request. The matter will be heard on July 19.
Lt. Col. Purohit has been charged with murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, under relevant Sections of the Arms Act, the Indian Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
