Mumbai: BJP MP and 2008 Malegaon blast case accused Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday made a rare appearance before the court. The judge had warned a day earlier that Wednesday’s was the last exemption from appearance for her.
After the charges were framed against the accused in October 2018, this is only her second appearance before the special court conducting the Malegaon blast case. She appeared last during June last year.
While the court begins work at 11 am while all accused are supposed to be present, Thakur reached court only two hours later citing that she took a flight from Bhopal which caused the delay.
However, by then, the matter had already been adjourned as the NIA did not bring a witness to be examined. The court had told Thakur’s advocates that it would be issuing a warrant against her if she does not make it to the court. Her advocate had then made a plea seeking time for her to appear.
Thakur’s shenanigans didn’t stop there. In the court she sat on the chair only after one of her accomplice put a maroon velvet cloth upon the seat. Judge Padalkar informed her that she may leave as the matter has been adjourned. He also allowed her advocate to make an application marking her attendance.
Judge Padalkar had ordered in May making all accused to present themselves before court atleast once a week. However, most accused do not follow the order. Some accused advocates also followed suite which infuriated him as he was already sitting in the courtroom for twenty minutes waiting for them.
Later that day, while giving an exemption to the accused from remaining present, he had told that it was the day’s last exemption. The accused have to file a plea for exemption from appearance every day before the proceedings begin. It is in this background that Thakur had to present herself.
Previously it was only after May 2019 order on accused to be present ensured Thakur’s presence in June of 2019. The court passed the order when it noticed that many exemption applications were filed without providing cogent reasons.
Even then in June last year Thakur had made a scene complaining of the chair being dirty and the courtroom dusty after the judge had just retired to his chamber after the proceedings.
This week, the Bombay HC had remarked on the pace of the trial while hearing an application by one of the accused Sameer Kulkarni that some of his co-accused as well as the investigation agency are trying to prolong the trial.
