Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will on Saturday most likely reply to a plea filed by the five accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case, for quashing of charges against them.
The five accused had on July 20 urged a special court to discharge them, claiming contradictions in the chargesheet filed by various probe agencies.
The application was moved by Noorulhuda Samsodhoha, Shabbir Ahmed Masiullah, Raess Ahmed Rajjab Ali Mansuri, Mohammed Zahid Abdul Majid and Abrar Ahmed Gulam Ahmed seeking discharge.
In the application before a designated Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, the accused had said there were contradictions in the earlier chargesheets filed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad, Central Bureau of Investigation and National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The accused had alleged that they were falsely implicated in the case and urged the court to direct the Commissioner of Police or any other competent authority to initiate a departmental inquiry against erring police and ATS officials.
The NIA had concluded that their confession was not voluntary and had been allegedly obtained from the accused under duress, said lawyer Sharif Shaikh, who provides free legal aid to the accused through Jamiat-Ulama-e Maharashtra.
The court had earlier granted bail to seven accused facing charges in the Malegaon blasts after NIA probed the case and submitted its primary report in November 2011.
Four bombs had exploded in Malegaon on September 8, 2006, killing 37 people, on the occasion of 'Shab-e-Baraat', considered auspicious among Muslims, when they assemble to pay respects to their departed kin.
With Additional Inputs From PTI
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