Malegaon blast case: Sadhvi Pragya appears before NIA Court today after skipping twice

Mumbai, June 07: Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who failed to appear before a court in Mumbai twice this week, arrived at National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court today.

Thakur is out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and she was directed to appear before the special court in Mumbai. Her lawyer yesterday told the court that she was suffering from high blood pressure and was unable to travel from Bhopal to Mumbai.

During the hearing, Special NIA Judge asked Thakur, "Do you know or has your lawyer told you about how many witnesses have been examined by the prosecution till now?"

"I don't know," replied Thakur, as per reports.

As the hearing began on Thursday, Thakur's lawyer Prashant Magoo submitted an application before NIA Judge V S Padalkar seeking exemption from her appearance in the court. Magoo said Thakur was suffering from high blood pressure and was unable to travel from Bhopal to Mumbai.

The court granted her exemption for the day and asked her to appear before it on Friday.

Thakur was hospitalised for a stomach ailment in Bhopal on Wednesday night and discharged on early Thursday, her close aide Upma told PTI, adding the BJP MP would return to the hospital after attending an event in Bhopal.

On Monday, the special court had rejected application of Thakur, a BJP MP from Bhopal, for exemption from appearance in the court this week.

In May this year, the court, which is conducting a trial against seven accused in the case, including Thakur, directed all of them to appear before it at least once a week.