Witness in 2008 Malegaon blast case turns hostile

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court on Saturday declared a witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case hostile.

The witness had earlier given a statement to Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) which was investigating the case before it was transferred to NIA.

In 2008, the witness had given a statement to ATS that he had heard a lecture of Lt Col Prasad Purohit in an adventure camp in Pachmarhi. In his statement to ATS, he had also told that he attended that adventure camp in October 2008 where Lt Col Purohit had given a lecture on terrorism and had discussed in detail that Pakistan was conspiring against India. This Camp was organised few days after the Malegaon 2008 blast.

On Saturday, When this witness was deposing before the Special NIA court, he refused to have given any such statement to ATS in 2008. In answer to most of the questions of Special Public Prosecutor Avinash Rasal, he responded that he did not know. Later, the Special NIA court declared him a 'Hostile' witness.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.

(ANI)

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