GG News Bureau
Mumbai, Maharashtra, 21st April. An accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb trial, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a member of the Bhopal BJP, has been cautioned by a special NIA court in Mumbai that if she does not appear on or before April 25, “necessary order will be passed.”
Because of her health issues, the BJP MP has received several extensions.
At the very end of the trial, when the accused are asked for their opinions after the court has reviewed all of the evidence that has been presented, the accused have been asked to record statements.
Attorneys JP Mishra and Prashant Maggu, who represented Thakur, said that the medical certificate itself demonstrated that she was receiving treatment for “lower back stiffness” (Katigrah) and “manya stambh,” or stiffness in the neck. They stated that Thakur is dealing with a serious medical issue and that they hoped she would be able to attend the trial on April 25.
The Photostat copy of Thakur’s medical certificate, which the court examined, revealed that the treatment for both illnesses is in progress and will likely need therapeutic involvement for a week or more.
In support of the NIA, Special Public Prosecutor Avinash Rasal argued that while the exemption application was backed by a medical certificate, it omitted any indication of her incapacity to relocate or travel from Bhopal to Mumbai.
Judge AK Lahoti, however, stated, “I believe that the (exemption) application should be granted as a final resort.”
When Thakur did not show up for court last month, the judge issued a warrant for her arrest that was subject to bail. Her lawyers claimed that she had to be hospitalized while traveling to Mumbai and that the BJP MP would stay following her release, which resulted in the warrant being stayed.
The warrant was revoked on March 22 following her court appearance. This month, the court noted that her absence was interfering with the court processes and asked the NIA to confirm her current state of health.
Comments are closed.