NIA files response to Purohit's plea in 2008 Malegaon blast case

The National Investigating Agency Thursday filed its reply to an application by 2008 Malegaon blast accused Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit seeking documents related to the case in "untruncated" form.

Purohit, in his application, filed earlier this week, had said documents supplied to him by the prosecution did not have names of witnesses and most of it was in truncated form.

"By truncating the documents, the prosecution has deprived the accused his statutory rights to prepare for cross-examination and defence," Purohit's application said.

The NIA's reply was filed Thursday before special judge V S Padalkar by special public prosecutor Avinash Rascal.

The special public prosecutor told the court the accused had been provided with the documents in accordance with law.

The judge adjourned the matter till November 19 for arguments on whether the accused is entitled to get documents in "untruncated" form.

The special court had, on October 30, framed terror charges against Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, setting the stage for their trial to commence.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008.

(With inputs from agencies.)