Malegaon Blast: SC to Hear Purohit Plea During Framing of Charges

Seven people were killed in a bomb blast at Malegaon on 29 September 2008.

Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit leaves from Supreme Court after the hearing. 

(Photo: ANI)

The Supreme Court, on Friday, 20 April, observed that Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit’s petition – challenging the prosecution sanction for his trial under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) – will be heard at the timing of framing of charges in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

In January, the Supreme Court had sought the Maharashtra government's response on a plea by Purohit, a former Army personnel, challenging the proceedings against him under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in the absence of valid sanction from the competent authority.

Seeking a response from the Maharashtra government, the bench of Justice RK Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre declined to interfere with the trial court proceedings in the matter.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had dismissed the plea by Purohit.

Purohit has contended that proceedings against him are in the absence of valid sanction from the competent authorities, and are thus a miscarriage of justice and bad in law.

(With inputs from IANS.)

(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit send)