In an important development the National Investigation Agency on Friday dropped charges against Malegaon blast accused on Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and four others. CBI filed charge sheet in the Malegaon blasts which occurred in September 2008 today in front of Special Court. In its charge sheet, NIA dropped charges on Pragya Singh Thakur and others as accused.
Earlier cases were registered against them on stringent charges under MCOCA but now NIA citing insufficient evidence dropped the charges. Those who are were given clean chit include Lokesh Sharma, Shiv Narayan Kalsangra, Shyam Bhavarlal Sahu and Praveen Takkalki while Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit has been charged under the anti-terror law UAPA and other provisions of IPC.
Maharashtra Anti Terrorism squad conducted the prob after seven people were killed in two bomb blasts and later the case was handed to NIA. When Sadhvi and Colonel was arrested, tempers rose as many accused the then ruling Congress party of coining new word Saffron Terror to deviate from core Islamic terrorism.
However the latest shift in stand by NIA is resulting in full fledged war with opposition Congress accusing Modi led Union Government of saving the accused.
