Malegaon blast case: Judge transferred before verdict, families seek retention

The judge presiding over the long-standing 2008 Malegaon blast case has been transferred just as the trial was drawing to a close, prompting concern from victims’ families who have urged the Bombay High Court to reconsider the decision.

According to PTI, Judge A K Lahoti, who was conducting the trial in the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Mumbai, has been transferred to Nashik as part of the annual general transfer of district judges. The transfer order, issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will come into effect after the courts reopen from their summer break on 9 June.

Judge Lahoti had recently instructed both the prosecution and defence to conclude their remaining arguments by 15 April, with the matter expected to be reserved for judgment the following day. The abrupt timing of his transfer has sparked apprehension among those closely following the case.

A lawyer representing the families of the victims had earlier submitted a formal request to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Alok Aradhe, asking for Judge Lahoti to be retained in Mumbai until the verdict is delivered. The letter, dated 20 March, stated that the judge had been stationed in Mumbai since June 2022 and was due to complete three years at the posting, aligning with typical judicial tenures.

“The victims are apprehensive that he may be transferred before the trial concludes,” the letter reads, further highlighting the emotional and legal implications of a possible change in judge at this crucial juncture. Judge Lahoti is reportedly the fifth special judge to preside over this particular trial since proceedings began.

On 29 September 2008, six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. The case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), before being handed over to the NIA in 2011.

Seven accused, including Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, are being tried under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(With inputs from PTI)