Malegaon case: Pragya Thakur appears in court, bailable warrant cancelled

A special court in Mumbai on Friday cancelled the bailable warrant issued against Pragya Singh Thakur after the Bhopal BJP MP appeared before it.

The court had, on 11 March, issued a bailable warrant of Rs 10,000 against Thakur, who is an accused in the September 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, for failing to appear before it despite repeated warnings.

Special Judge A.K. Lahoti had at the time directed Thakur to appear before it on 20 March but she failed to do so, claiming she was admitted in a private hospital in Mumbai. The court, on 20 March, stayed execution of the warrant until she was discharged from hospital.

On Friday, Thakur appeared before the special court and filed an application through her lawyer for cancellation of the bailable warrant. The court took note of her medical papers and cancelled the warrant.

"Considering the ill-health of accused No. 1 (Thakur) and perusal of medical papers which show that she could not remain present on the scheduled dates," the court said.

Thakur in her application claimed she was unable to sit, walk and even sign. The court said it found substance in her claims as she appeared in court with the help of supporting aid. The court directed Thakur to appear before it on 28 March to record her final statement in the ongoing trial against her.

Thakur and six others are facing trial in the case under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court is currently recording statements of the accused under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from Mumbai, in north Maharashtra, on 29 September, 2008. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad initially probed the case before it was transferred to the NIA in 2011.