Judge conducting trial in 2008 Malegaon blast case transferred

Mumbai: Special NIA court judge A K Lahoti, conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been posted to Nashik in the annual general transfer of district judges, days before the court was likely to reserve the matter for judgement.

The transfer order, for Lahoti and other judges issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will come into effect when the courts re-open after summer vacation on June 9.

The order has mentioned that the judicial officers who are under order of transfer are "directed (a) to finish by judgments all cases in which hearing has already been concluded and (b) should endeavour to dispose of all part-heard cases before handing over charge."

In the last hearing on Saturday, judge Lahoti directed the prosecution and defence to wrap up the remaining arguments by April 15 and was expected to reserve the matter for judgement the following day, a defence lawyer said.

Six people were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off on September 29, 2008, near a mosque in Malegaon, a town located about 200 km from Mumbai in north Maharashtra's Nashik district.

BJP leader Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and five others are being tried for their alleged involvement in the case.

The accused are facing prosecution under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) before being transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011.