JOIN USSeveral youths who were falsely accused in Malegaon blast and who had sought discharge from the case, moved the Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court seeking dismissal of applications by co-accused Dhan Singh, Lokesh Sharma and others who objected to their discharge application.
The youths – Noorulhuda Samsodhoha, Shabbir Ahmed Masiullah, Raess Ahmed Rajjab Ali Mansuri, Mohammed Zahid Abdul Majid, Farogh Makhdumi, Mohammed Shaikh, Asif Shaikh and Abrar Ahmed Gulam Ahmed – moved an application before the designated MCOCA court, seeking discharge in the case in the wake of National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet exonerating them.
The discharge application of the Muslim youths had been held up following objections raised by Singh, Sharma and others who cited the contradictions in the investigations carried out by different agencies like the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), the Central Bureau of Investigation and the NIA.
Counsels for the Muslim accused – Shahid Nadeem Ansari and Abdul Wahab Khan – in their reply pointed out that the application filed by Singh and others “reeks of ulterior motive and is a feeble attempt to obstruct and confuse the court to come to the true conclusion of the present matter.”
“There is no provision under law which permits the co-accused to take objection on the discharge application filed by any accused. The application filed by Dhan Singh and others is erroneous and misconceptions of law.”
The NIA, on August 29, 2013, in its reply filed in the Special MCOCA court, did not raise any objection to discharge application and left it on the court to take a decision on the matter, stating that it had conducted thorough investigations in the case before arriving at conclusion. The matter has been posted for October 18.
On September 8, 2006, the day of Shab-e-Barat, a series of explosions rocked Hamidiya Masjid adjacent to a graveyard and Mushawerat Chowk; 34 people were killed and more than 300 were injured in the blasts.
Nine Muslim youths were booked in the case. However, later investigations revealed that the accused picked up by the police were innocent and the explosions were carried out by right-wing Hindu organisations.
The startling development shook the entire police force, when Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was gunned down in Mumbai terror attack, arrested a Sadhvi, a serving army officer and several others from a low-profile right-wing Hindu organisations.