Mumbai, Apr 22 Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan on Wednesday alleged that some persons were falsely implicated in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case, but truth has now come out with the Bombay High Court discharging four accused.
He was speaking to reporters here after the high court discharged the four accused - Rajendra Chaudhary, Dhan Singh, Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria and Lokesh Sharma - and quashed a special court order framing charges against them.
They were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murder and criminal conspiracy, and also under the stringent Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA).
Speaking to reporters here after the court verdict, Mahajan said, "Congress party had created a huge issue out of the Malegaon blast (case). Without any reason, some people were implicated in the case. Now the truth has come out."
"The accused persons have been released (discharged). They were falsely and deliberately framed," the water resources minister added.
Mahajan alleged that the case had been politicised, and said the latest court order vindicated those who maintained that innocent people were targeted.
On September 8, 2006, four bombs exploded in Nashik district's Malegaon town - three inside the premises of Hamidia Masjid and Bada Kabrastan just after Friday prayers and the fourth in Mushawarat Chowk - claiming 31 lives and injuring 312 persons.
The state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which initially probed the case, had arrested nine Muslim men in connection with the case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which later took over the case, claimed the blasts were the handiwork of right-wing extremists and arrested these four accused. The nine Muslim men had been discharged from the case by a special court.
