Maharashtra
Maha ATS lawyers to track Malegaon-2008 blast case hearing
Alarmed by witnesses turning hostile in the Malegaon-2008 blasts case, the Maharashtra government lawyers shall now remain in the Special NIA Court where the trial is being conducted on a daily basis, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said here on Saturday.
He told the media persons that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had taken over the case (from the state ATS), but the state government is perturbed at the manner in which several critical witnesses have become hostile in the Special Court.
The significant development came two days after the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Congress had raised the issue and drawn the attention of the Home Ministry and the ATS.
Congress state Working President M. Arif Naseem Khan had submitted a memorandum to the Additional Director-General of Police and ATS chief Vineet Agrawal urging necessary measures to monitor the case closely.
“We are thankful to Home Minister Walse-Patil for accepting our demand for a team to keep a track on the court proceedings. The presence of the ATS lawyers will help in a free and fair trial,” Khan said in a statement.
An ex-minister, Khan reiterated that the NIA is allegedly ‘weakening’ the Malegaon-2008 case and not pursuing it with ‘honesty and sincerity’.
In his memorandum to the ATS Chief Agrawal, Khan contended that the witnesses turning hostile are invoking the names of Bharatiya Janata Party-RSS leaders to “malign the Maharashtra government and ATS” for gaining political mileage in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
The September 29, 2008 (Malegaon 2008) bomb blast was allegedly engineered in this minority-dominated Nashik town by Hindu fundamentalists, killing 6 and injuring over 100 others, during the Ramadan month when Muslims were breaking their fast.
The Maharashtra Police and then the ATS probed the case till 2011 when it was taken over by the NIA, and the trial is going on daily before the Special NIA Court in Mumbai.
Of the 223 witnesses examined, 16 have turned hostile, claiming that the ATS tortured them to give evidence against the accused, said Khan, urging the need for the presence of the ATS in the court to protect the image of the Maharashtra government.
Among the accused in the sensational Malegaon 2008 case are BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Amritananda Dev Teerth, Dayanand Pandey, Lt. Col. Prasad S. Purohit, and others.
Khan said that the ATS was being sought to be tarnished as an ‘anti-Hindu’ agency with the witnesses, allegedly influenced by the accused, deliberately naming BJP-RSS people ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls for political gains.
“The NIA is not prosecuting all the accused with honesty and sincerity. Out of 223 witnesses who deposed so far, 16 important ones have turned hostile and over a 100 more are still left to be examined. These witnesses are crucial and need to be protected. The NIA has not challenged any orders passed in favour of the accused which shows their intentions clearly,” Khan said.
Some of the witnesses in Malegaon 2008 case even went beyond their recorded statement mentioning names like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but the NIA’s Special Public Prosecutor took no objection, and another witness claimed he was tortured and threatened by the ATS to take names of Yogi and 4 RSS leaders.
Maharashtra
Amrauti MP Anil Bonde receives threat from Hyderabadi Muslim over email, anger over removal of IIC banner and anti-Islamic rhetoric, situation tense

Mumbai: A Muslim organization called ICC had put up a banner at Panchoti Chowk in Amrauti, Maharashtra, which sparked a controversy, due to which communal tension has arisen in Amrauti. MP Anil Bonde has demanded a case to be registered against the putting up of the banner. Today, Anil Bonde has received a threatening email in this matter, after which the police have registered an NC in this matter and started investigating. This email has been said that Anil Bonde’s anti-Islamic statement has created hatred and the atmosphere of resentment against him among the Muslims of Hyderabad is very hot. The personal secretary of the complainant Anil Bonde has complained that when he was checking his email as usual in the morning, he received a threatening email. The following email was received on Bonde’s official email from an unknown email ID. Dr. Sahib, the language you used against Islamic teachings has ignited such a fire in the hearts of the Muslims of Hyderabad that the atmosphere here has become dangerously hot. This is anger, which turns into a storm with a spark. Every word of yours is feeling like an open wound to the Muslims, so control your language and your speech because Dr. Sahib, this time emotions have flared up so much that even a wrong word is enough to make the entire atmosphere uncontrollable. A threatening email has been received in the name of the angry Muslim community of Hyderabad. Bonde had filed a complaint in Panchavati Chowk regarding the banner of the Islamic organization. That is why the threat has been sent through email on the official email ID. After which an NC has been registered. Abel Bonde is identified as a hardline Hindutva leader and he had opposed the putting up of an Islamic banner at Panchavati Chowk. The situation is extremely tense due to this incident. The police are on immediate alert.
Maharashtra
Abu Asim Azmi demands immediate help from Indian government after pilgrims were involved in a bus accident during Umrah in Saudi Arabia

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Indian pilgrims in a road accident during Umrah in Saudi Arabia and has demanded that the Indian government help bring the bodies of the deceased pilgrims to India. Muslims are saddened and mourning after the video of this tragic accident went viral on social media. Abu Asim said that after visiting the house of Allah, Mecca, the pilgrims’ bus met with an accident while traveling to Medina and this accident was so terrible that 42 pilgrims died in it. Abu Asim said that this tragedy with Indian pilgrims who went for Umrah is very sad. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of all the martyrs. May Allah Almighty grant them a high place in Paradise, grant patience to the bereaved families and grant a speedy recovery to the injured Amen.
We demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaishankar to immediately provide all possible assistance to the families who have to bring the bodies of their loved ones back to India.
And if anyone wishes to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the last rites of their loved ones, they should be issued emergency visas immediately and the injured should be provided with the best medical facilities.
Maharashtra
Byculla Redevelopment Site Accident Claims Two Lives

Mumbai: A tragic incident occurred on saturday afternoon at the proposed redevelopment site of Habib Mansion in Byculla (West). During piling work, the ground suddenly caved in, resulting in the death of two labourers on the spot.
Two to three other workers suffered serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. The accident took place at the Sundar Galli stretch between Haines Road and Tank Pakhadi Road, where redevelopment work is being undertaken by Ibrahim Jusab Sopariwala & Others. The project is linked to architects A2 Associates and Rajpurkar Associates, with ZZ Consultants reported as the structural advisors.
Local residents claimed that adequate safety measures were missing at the worksite, raising concerns about negligence. Police and BMC officials have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
Authorities said a detailed probe will determine whether safety protocols were violated during the redevelopment work.
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