Malegaon Blast: HC issues notice to 7 acquitted accused, must file response within 6 weeks; What is the reason?

The court has issued notices to the respondents—the National Investigation Agency and the acquitted accused. The hearing in the case is scheduled for six weeks later.

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court has accepted the appeal filed by the families of the victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast. This appeal challenges the acquittal of all seven accused, including Sadhvi Pragya and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.

The court has issued notices to the respondents—the National Investigation Agency and the acquitted accused. The hearing in the case is scheduled for six weeks later.

Petition filed last week
An appeal was filed in the Bombay High Court last week. This appeal claims that a faulty investigation or certain flaws in the investigation cannot be grounds for acquitting the accused. It also argues that the conspiracy to carry out the blasts was hatched secretly and therefore cannot be directly evidenced.

The petition raised the issue of acquittal of the accused.
The petitioners claimed that the order of the special NIA court on July 31st acquitting seven accused was erroneous and legally unjustified and should therefore be set aside.

Malegaon was rocked 17 years ago.
It is noteworthy that on September 29, 2008, an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle exploded near a mosque in Malegaon town, about 200 kilometers from Mumbai, in Maharashtra's Nashik district. Six people were killed in the blast and 101 were injured.