By TCN News,
Mumbai: The bail pleas of three accused including Lt Col Purohit, arrested in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case, were rejected by a special MCOCA court on Thursday. The bail pleas were submitted by Purohit, Rakesh Dhawde and Ajay Rahirkar.
Opposing the bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian argued that the accused wanted to overpower the Indian government and create a Hindu Rashtra for which they had indulged in terror activities, and if released they would continue such unlawful activities. They floated a group called Abhinav Bharat to carry out their terror activities.
The three had stated in the bail plea that they were falsely implicated in the case. They also said that their custody was no longer needed as chargesheet has been filed.
Besides the trio, seven including Sadhwi Pragya Singh Thakur are accused by the Maharashtra ATS in case. Six people were killed and several others injured in the blast that took place in Malegaon on September 29, 2008.
Former ATS chief Hemant Karkare brought out the role of the Abhinav Bharat behind the blast, which was earlier suspected to be carried out by Muslim terrorists. Purohit was the first serving army officer to be arrested in a terror case. The case also brought to light the alarming fact that former officers in the army supported and helped the cause of the Abhinav Bharat – to create a Hindu Rashtra with the help of Israel and Nepal, overthrowing the Indian government.