Malegaon blasts case: Trial begins at special NIA court

ANI  |  Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] 

The Investigative Agency (NIA) submitted nearly 216 documents before the Special Court in Mumbai as the trial in the 2008 blasts case commenced on Friday.

Shrikant Purohit, are among the seven accused facing trial in the case.

The terror investigation agency also submitted a list of 286 witnesses. The court fixed November 12 as the next date of hearing in the case.

On October 30, the court had framed charges against Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, and Sudhakar Chaturvedi, accusing them of terror conspiracy, murder and other related offences.

The court on October 20 rejected Purohit's plea to not be prosecuted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. All the seven accused have pleaded not guilty.

"This was a conspiracy by the but I am confident that I will come out innocent as the truth always wins," told ANI after the charges were framed.

Shrikant Purohit, an Army officer, was arrested in 2008 for allegedly masterminding the blasts that left six people dead and dozens injured.

He moved the Supreme Court, alleging Anti-Terrorism Squad of abducting and torturing him. But his petition was rejected in September.

In November 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested 11 people in connection with the blasts. Three years later, in 2011, the investigation was transferred to the

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First Published: Fri, November 02 2018. 19:30 IST