No NIA Probe In Badnagar Blast Says Indore High Court

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday declined, at this stage, to order a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the June 23 blast during a Muharram procession in Badnagar, Ujjain district, observing that the material placed before it did not warrant such an investigation.

A division bench of Justice Subodh Abhyankar and Justice Alok Awasthi was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sumit Hardiya, who had sought transfer of the investigation to the NIA, contending that the incident involved a "scheduled offence" under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.

During the hearing, the State Government informed the court that the explosives allegedly carried in the Tata Magic vehicle were, in fact, firecrackers, though the final report in the matter is still awaited.

Taking note of the State Government's submission, the bench observed that it was not inclined to accept the petitioner's contention that the incident required an NIA investigation.

"Looking to the report submitted by learned counsel for the respondents contending that the explosives which were kept in the Tata Magic van were actually firecrackers, we are not inclined to accept the contention... that this matter requires investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA) as admittedly it was a stunt carried out by a person whose men were already sitting in the said van," the court observed.

However, the court did not dispose of the petition. On the remaining reliefs sought in the PIL, it granted the State Government four weeks to file its detailed reply and directed that the matter be listed thereafter.