Minister fabricated evidence: Goa blast accused

Four Margao bomb blast case accused have charged Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik with being personally involved in fabricating and manipulating evidence in the case.

In an application moved before the district and sessions court on Thursday, Sanjiv Punalkar, the lawyer representing the four accused -- Vinayak Patil, Vinay Talekar, Dhananjay Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar -- said they would be producing evidence or witnesses to prove Naik's involvement in the case.

"These evidences would prove the personal involvement of Naik in fabricating and manipulating evidence in collusion with officials of the Ponda police station," he claimed. Punalkar said that any delay in the trial may hamper their attempt to expose the involvement of the minister.

"Any delay in trial may result in the home minister discovering the names of those police personnel who would be important witnesses for the accused in testifying about the fabrication of evidence," the application said.

The four accused have moved the application for a speedy trial under the NIA Act. The application said the NIA Act, 2008, made it mandatory for the trial to be conducted in a special court when an agency probed any scheduled offence. The lawyer said the accused are ready for daily trial without adjournment.

"It becomes necessary, mandatory and obligatory that the court shall hold the trial on a day-to-day basis on all working days," the application said.

Punalkar told PTI that the accused had no objection to the district and sessions court hearing the case in absence of a special court. "We hope that the judge will grant day-to-day hearing," he said.

Six persons, all affiliated to Sanatan Sanstha, were arrested following a blast in Margao on Diwali eve in 2009. The National investigating Agency has chargesheeted twelve accused in the case, of which four are still on the run while two --Yogesh Naik and Malgonda Patil -- died in the explosion. The order in the application is fixed for August 13.