Nine accused in Malegaon blast case get bail

Nine accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case on Saturdaygot bail as National Investigation Agency chose not to oppose their plea for liberty.

Designated Judge Y D Shinde of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act granted them bail on a surety of Rs 50,000 each. The court also asked the accused to report to local police station once in a week.

The nine accused who got bail are Salman Farsi, Shabir Ahmed, Noorulhuda Doha, Rais Ahmed, Mohammed Ali, Asif Khan, Javed Sheikh, Faroogue Ansari and Abrar Ahmed.

Of them, Asif Khan and Mohammed Ali will not be released as they are also held in 2006 Mumbai train serial blast case. The rest would get out of jail after completing formalities on November 8, said defence lawyer Jaleel Ansari.

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NIA contended that after the confession of Swami Aseemanand, arrested for the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast case, about the alleged involvement of a right wing group in the Malegaon blast, it reviewed the evidence collected by previous investigating agencies ATS, Maharashtra, and Central Bureau of Investigation besides gathering some fresh evidence.

"After due deliberations, a decision was taken on the basis of facts and circumstances not to oppose the bail plea of all the nine accused," NIA said.

However, NIA said it would not admit any contention of the accused in the bail petitions so far as they relate to the charge sheet filed by previous investigating agencies, so also "the facts and circumstances which came to light during the investigation by NIA if they are also traversed by the accused," it said.

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In the wake of Swami Aseemanand's confession that pointed to a right-wing group's involvement in the case, the nine accused had sought bail. Aseemanand had been arrested  for his alleged role in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blasts.

"From the confession, it is clear that those responsible for the 2006 Malegaon blasts, are persons far removed from the current accused," they said in their bail plea.

The nine accused further pleaded that they have been in jail for the past four years and "there is no direct evidence of their involvement in the said offence and it was only based on the forcibly-taken confession statement".

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Aseemanand, in his confession, that was recorded before the magistrate few months ago, had alleged that a right-wing group was responsible for the 2006 blasts in Malegaon,  which killed 37 people and injured over 100.

The blasts had occurred near Hamidia mosque in the Bada Kabristan area around 1.15 PM on September 8, 2006, after Shab-e-Barat prayers.

Police had arrested nine persons -- Salman Farsi, Shabir Ahmed, Noorulhuda Doha, Rais Ahmed, Mohammed Ali, Asif Khan, Javed Sheikh, Faroogue Ansari and Abrar Ahmed -- for their alleged involvement in the blasts.