2008 Malegaon blast trial: Victims urge Bombay HC CJ to extend special judge's tenure
Mumbai, Mar 24 (PTI): Victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast have urged the Bombay High Court Chief Justice to extend the tenure of the special NIA judge, saying his likely transfer will delay the trial.
Generally, judges of the additional sessions courts are posted in a sessions division for two to three years. The NIA special judge A K Lahoti has been posted in the city civil and sessions court in Mumbai since June 2022.
As he will complete three years of his tenure at Bombay (Mumbai) in the coming months, the victims are apprehensive that he may be transferred to another station during the upcoming annual general transfers without concluding the trial, the blast victims stated in a letter sent through advocate Shahid Nadeem.
"The case is a matter of grave public importance and extremely voluminous in nature", it said, adding that the accused persons who are on bail may not be in a hurry but victims are desperate for justice.
The victims apprehend that any change in the presiding officer may cause an unavoidable delay in the trial as the newly posted presiding officer would be required to familiarise himself with the entire voluminous charge sheet along with exhibited documents.
The prosecution has examined 323 witnesses while the defence examined eight witnesses in the blast case. The trial is at the concluding stage with the court recording the final statements of the accused.
"The hapless victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case wish to seek your intervention and pray before your authority to extend the tenure or retain the special judge till the end of the trial," the letter said.
The trial commenced in 2018 after the special NIA court framed charges against Lt Col Prasad Purohit, the then BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and five others on charges of terror activities, criminal conspiracy, and murder, among others.
Six people were killed and more than 100 injured on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon town in north Maharashtra, some 200 km from Mumbai.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
