Another witness has turned hostile in the 2008 Malegaon blast trial. As per his earlier statement, this witness heard his cousin and absconding accused Ramji Kalsangra about BJP MP Pragya Thakir giving an LML Freedom bike to him for use.
On Wednesday in court, he said he doesn’t remember any such vehicle used by his cousin. It was on this bike that explosives were strapped and had gone off, resulting in six deaths and many more casualties on Sep 29, 2008.
The statement of this witness was shown to be recorded a month after the blast, with him acknowledging that he saw his cousin use the LML Freedom golden-coloured bike from a year prior. He had stated that Kalsangra had told him that it was given to him by “Sadhvi Pragya didi”.
Witness forgets own statement
The prosecution claims that Kalsangra is an absconding accused. By some accounts, he was killed in an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) encounter in Nov 2008. Special Public Prosecutor Avinash Rasal said the witness told the court that the ATS had given him a written document and asked him to base his statement on it and he does not remember what he said.
While the prosecution claims he was taken to a magistrate for recording the statement, he claimed he was blindfolded and taken to several places and he does not remember if he was taken before a magistrate.
Witness denies knowing Pragya Thakur
His statements had mentions of Thakur being at Kalsangra’s home when he visited in 2007 and was introduced to a saffron-robed woman (adhvi Pragya didi). On Wednesday, however, he denied knowing Thakur.
His statement also contained a reference to another absconding accused in the case, Sandeep Dange, as being known to him. He denied any acquaintance with Dange, who too, by some accounts, was killed like Kalsangra in an encounter.
Past witnesses who turned hostile
An acquaintance of Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit who had made revelations in his statement on lectures on Hindutva given by Purohit and Pragya Thakur.
Retired army man, another acquaintance of Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, whose statement had mentions of a closed door meeting in which Purohit spoke about forming a pure Hindu organisation and need for an academy for ideological indoctrination.
Former trustee of right wing outfit Abhinav Bharat, whose members allegedly conspired towards the blast.
A witness who had attended a camp in Madhya Pradesh managed by some of the accused after the blast, in which indoctrinating speeches were given to youth.
