Maharashtra Govt. challenges revocation of MCOCA provisions in Malegaon blasts case

Mumbai, Aug 24 (ANI): The Maharashtra Government has filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court challenging the revocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions in the September 2008 Malegaon blasts case.

The court will hear the matter on September 8. It asked the state to serve a copy of the appeal to the 11 accused.

On August 2, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said that his government would challenge the verdict given by the Special Court to drop the charges under MCOCA framed against the 11 accused of the Malegaon blast, in the Supreme Court.

Earlier, a Special Court in Mumbai had dropped provisions of the MCOCA invoked against Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Prasad S P Purohit and other accused of September 2008 Malegaon bomb blast.

The Court in its verdict observed that none of these accused are part of an organised crime group.

The court also ordered the trial will be heard in a regular Nashik court and that the accused can now become eligible for regular bail.

The Malegaon blast investigations were the first instance of an official probe, which charged a Hindu terrorist group with involvement in serial blasts. (ANI)