27th witness in Malegaon blast case declared hostile

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 4 (ANI): The 27th witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case turned hostile on Thursday after he told the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court that he doesn’t remember the statement he had given to the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), the earlier investigating agency.
The witness had reportedly given a statement against the sitting Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and another accused, identified as Dayanand Pandey, of this case during the initial investigation done by Maharashtra ATS.
But today, he came before the special NIA court and was confronted with the facts of his statement. But he said that he doesn’t remember what he had said in his statement to Maharashtra ATS earlier. He told the special NIA court that he is 75 years of age and that is why it is difficult for him to remember what he had said in his statement.
Earlier in September and August, two other witnesses of the case had turned hostile during the special NIA court hearing. One of them, who worked at a hotel in Indore, refused to partially say in court what he had stated earlier to the investigating agency.
On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and over 100 others were injured after an explosive device placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra’s Malegaon city. All the seven accused in the case are currently on bail.
On October 23, 2008, the Maharashtra ATS made its first arrest in connection to the case by apprehending BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.
Later, others were also caught.
On January 20, 2009, the ATS filed a charge sheet in the case after completing its investigation. In April 2011, the central government transferred the investigation into the case to the NIA. (ANI)