BJP MP Pragya Thakur, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, got emotional on Tuesday while replying to questions as her statement was recorded by the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai.
The trial court on Tuesday initiated the process of recording statements from Thakur and six other accused in accordance with section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This section provides an opportunity for the accused to explain circumstances presented in the evidence against them.
The accused were asked about approximately 60 questions pertaining to the testimonies of doctors who had treated the injured and conducted post-mortem examinations following the Malegaon blast.
While seated in the witness box, Pragya Thakur visibly became emotional at one point, leading to a ten-minute pause in the proceedings. In response to all the questions, she consistently replied with, “I don’t know.” Thakur, who represents Bhopal in the Lok Sabha, reportedly felt uncomfortable when questioned about the injuries sustained by blast victims.
The trial has already seen the testimonies of prosecution witnesses, with a total of 323 witnesses examined. Out of these, 34 either turned hostile or did not support the prosecution’s case.
Pragya Thakur, along with Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (retired) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Sudhakar Dwivedi, and Sameer Kulkarni, faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
All seven accused appeared before Special NIA Court Judge A K Lahoti for the statement recording under section 313, with the process continuing on Wednesday.
The Malegaon blast on September 29, 2008, resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to over 100 others when an explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, located about 200 km from Mumbai. Initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the case was transferred to the NIA in 2011.