The judge handling the trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case has been transferred. The incident involved a bomb explosion near a mosque in Malegaon on September 29, 2008. Six people lost their lives and over 100 were injured in the blast. The case has been ongoing for several years, dealing with serious charges and multiple accused.
Mumbai: Special NIA court judge AK Lahoti, who has been presiding over the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been transferred to Nashik as part of the annual general transfer of district judges.
This decision comes just days before the court was expected to reserve the matter for judgment.
The transfer order, issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will take effect when the courts reopen after the summer vacation on June 9.
The order states that “judicial officers who are being transferred 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.”
During the last hearing on Saturday, Judge Lahoti instructed both the prosecution and defense to conclude their remaining arguments by April 15, with the expectation of reserving the matter for judgment the following day, according to a defense lawyer.
Earlier, On March 20, the lawyer representing the victims’ families reached out to Bombay Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, requesting his intervention to keep Judge Lahoti on the case, as the arguments in the 2008 Malegaon matter are nearing completion.
The lawyer’s letter stated,
“The present letter is a sincere request on behalf of the victims to retain the Hon’ble Special Judge Shri A K Lahoti at the Hon’ble City Civil and Sessions Court for Greater Bombay, at Mumbai,”
The letter noted that it is customary for Hon’ble Additional Sessions Judges to be assigned to a particular Sessions Division or Station for a period of 2 to 3 years. It mentioned that Judge Lahoti has been serving at the Hon’ble City Civil and Sessions Court for Greater Bombay, Mumbai, since June 2022, and will complete his three-year term in the coming months.
The letter expressed the victims’ families’ “apprehension” regarding Judge Lahoti’s transfer, stating,
“The Victims are apprehensive that he may be transferred to another station during the upcoming Annual General Transfers without concluding the trial.”
The trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case is now in its final stages, with the court recording the statements of the seven accused.
The tragic blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when a motorcycle with an explosive device exploded near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in Maharashtra about 200 km from Mumbai.
The incident claimed the lives of six people and injured more than 100 others.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, and five others are accused of being part of the conspiracy behind the blast. They are being tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the now-defunct provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Initially, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was responsible for investigating the Malegaon blast case. However, in 2011, the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probing.
The court had previously issued a bailable warrant against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur because she did not appear before the court during the ongoing trial, which is now nearing its conclusion.