Malegaon Blast 2008: Warrant Issued Against BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur by NIA Court

Mumbai: In its hearing on the 2008 Malegaon blast case, a special NIA court in Mumbai has issued a bailable warrant of Rs 10,000 against BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur. MP Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, did not appear for the hearing despite the court's order. 

Thakur, a BJP MP from Bhopal is an accused in the Malegaon blast case. She was asked by the court to appear before it to hear the case. She did not appear before the court despite an order in this regard. Meanwhile, Thakur's lawyer had filed an application seeking an exemption from appearance on health grounds, but the court rejected it and issued a bailable warrant, which can be returned on March 20.

In 2008, a bomb went off near a mosque in Maharashtra's Malegaon city. Six people were killed in the blast. More than 100 people were injured. The bomb blast case was initially probed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The case was later transferred to the NIA in 2011. Thakur was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in 2017. 

BJP cuts ticket
On March 2, the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. This includes 24 candidates out of the total 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur's ticket has been cut by the BJP. She has been replaced by former Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma.