Mumbai: Noting that witness prosecution in the case of Maleonon Blast 2008 turned hostile, home Minister Maharashtra Dilip Walse-Patil on Saturday said ATS state lawyers will attend the Sustainable Nia trial before the Nia Court.
This case was originally investigated by Maharashtra’s anti-terrorism squad before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over.
“Recently some witnesses turned into hostility …
We will have our lawyers present in court during hearing from now on,” Walse-Patil told reporters.
Additional major secretary (home) will communicate with the central body about this, he added.
Earlier this week, the State Congress who worked as president and former State Minister for Naseem Khan’s house had met with the Director of Agarwal Additional Police who headed the problem.
In a memorandum to ATS, Khan demanded that ATS lawyers be present at the Nia Court here during the trial.
The defendant in this case included Pragya Singh Thakur, MP BJP from Bhopal who came out with a guarantee.
So far, 16 of the 223 witnesses who are buckled have compiled hostile, accusing ATS torturing and forcing them to give a false statement, Khan has said in the memo, adding that to maintain the image of the country and ATS, his lawyer must be present in court.
Six people were killed and more than 100 injured when the explosives were tied to a motorcycle going near a mosque in Malegaon, a jointly sensitive city in Maharashtra Utara, on September 29, 2008.