A special NIA court in Mumbai has dropped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act – MCOCA charges against all the eleven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. <br/><br/>While the prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others will face charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act, three others namely Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki have been completely absolved from all charges in the case. <br/><br/>The special court said Sadhvi Pragya, Lt. Col Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar will face trial under UAPA section dealing with terror and criminal conspiracy apart from several IPC sections dealing with murder and intentionally causing harm to others. <br/><br/>The court has however dropped charges related to raising fund for a terror organisation and being a part of it. Two other accused, Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde will face trial only under the Arms Act. <br/><br/>In today's hearing, Special NIA Judge S D Tekale said Sadhvi Pragya Singh cannot be absolved of conspiracy charges as she was aware about the motorcycle being used for the blast. The court said all the accused will continue to remain out on bail. <br/><br/>The next hearing is scheduled on 15th January wherein the court has demanded presence of all the accused for formal framing of charges.

A special NIA court in Mumbai has dropped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act – MCOCA charges against all the eleven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. <br/><br/>While the prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others will face charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act, three others namely Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki have been completely absolved from all charges in the case. <br/><br/>The special court said Sadhvi Pragya, Lt. Col Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar will face trial under UAPA section dealing with terror and criminal conspiracy apart from several IPC sections dealing with murder and intentionally causing harm to others. <br/><br/>The court has however dropped charges related to raising fund for a terror organisation and being a part of it. Two other accused, Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde will face trial only under the Arms Act. <br/><br/>In today's hearing, Special NIA Judge S D Tekale said Sadhvi Pragya Singh cannot be absolved of conspiracy charges as she was aware about the motorcycle being used for the blast. The court said all the accused will continue to remain out on bail. <br/><br/>The next hearing is scheduled on 15th January wherein the court has demanded presence of all the accused for formal framing of charges.

A special NIA court in Mumbai has dropped the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act – MCOCA charges against all the eleven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case. <br/><br/>While the prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others will face charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act, three others namely Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki have been completely absolved from all charges in the case. <br/><br/>The special court said Sadhvi Pragya, Lt. Col Purohit, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar will face trial under UAPA section dealing with terror and criminal conspiracy apart from several IPC sections dealing with murder and intentionally causing harm to others. <br/><br/>The court has however dropped charges related to raising fund for a terror organisation and being a part of it. Two other accused, Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde will face trial only under the Arms Act. <br/><br/>In today's hearing, Special NIA Judge S D Tekale said Sadhvi Pragya Singh cannot be absolved of conspiracy charges as she was aware about the motorcycle being used for the blast. The court said all the accused will continue to remain out on bail. <br/><br/>The next hearing is scheduled on 15th January wherein the court has demanded presence of all the accused for formal framing of charges.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others will face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case as the special NIA court in Mumbai on Wednesday dismissed their applications for discharge.<br/><br/>The court has, however, dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the accused.<br/><br/>It discharged three accused – Shyam Sahu, Shivnarayan Kalsangra and Praveen Takalki – from the case.<br/><br/>Apart from Sadhvi and Purohit, the accused who will now face trial in the case are: Sudhakar Dwivedi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar. Two accused – Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde – will face trial only under the Arms Act.<br/><br/>The court has asked all the accused persons to appear before it on January 15 for the formal framing of charges against them.<br/>On September 29, 2008, there was a bomb explosion near Bhiku Chowk at Malegaon in Nashik district, killing six persons and injuring several others.