NIA court grants bail to two accused in 2008 Malegaon Blast

Mumbai: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Tuesday granted bail to two other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

The two accused granted bail are Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sudhakar Dwivedi aka Shankaracharya, both of whom were facing conspiracy charges including attending meetings where the attack was planned.

The decision comes weeks after the Supreme Court granted bail to 2008 Malegaon blast prime accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit.

Six people were killed and nearly 100 others injured when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon town in Nashik district of north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

The blast took place in a cemetery, adjacent to a mosque, at around 1:15 pm after Friday prayers on the holy day of Shab-e-Bara’at.

After Lt Col Shrikant Prasad Purohit was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court last month, both Chaturvedi and Dhwivedi filed bail applications on grounds of parity. Both accused have to provide personal bonds and securities of Rs 5 lakh each.

The High Court has already given bail to another accused in the case, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

All the accused were booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), besides under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(With inputs from PTI)