Malegaon blast accused move court for bail

Mumbai: All nine accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case have filed for bail before the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Mumbai.

Taking up their bail petition on Monday, the court asked the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their replies and fixed the next date of hearing on January 28.

Meanwhile, Delhi High Court issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Centre in response to a notice by Anant Bramhachari, an associate of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. Bramhachari has alleged harassment by the investigative agencies.

Delhi High Court judge Justice Shiv Narayan Dhingra directed the the NIA and the Centre to file their replies by April 6.

A delegation of Nationalist Congress Party comprising of Tariq Anwar, Munaf Hakim, Jeetendra Awhad and Habib Faki are also scheduled to meet Union Home Minister P Chidambaram over the Malegaon blast case.

Earlier, on Sunday Congress leader Digvijaya Singh claimed in Indore that some Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Madhya Pradesh sheltered Samjhauta Express train blast accused.

"The BJP government of Madhya Pradesh gave financial help and shelter to the Samjhauta blast accused when they were absconding. We want the case to be investigated and the guilty to be punished," said Singh.

However, he did not name the leaders on whom he pointed fingers.

Samjhauta Express train blast accused Swami Aseemanand is in judicial custody till January 27. Aseemanand was arrested on November 19, 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Ajmer, Hyderabad and Samjhauta Express blasts. The NIA claims that Assemanand has confessed to plotting the Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blasts.

NIA sources say that he is the prime accused and mastermind of the Samjahuta blast in February 18, 2007 in which 68 passengers were killed.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad also wants to question Aseemanand for his role in the Malegaon mosque blasts of 2006 and 2008.