'Ok, Leave Rs 150, But At Least Return My Rs 750': Malegaon Blast Accused To Court
Sameer Kulkarni, one of the seven individuals acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, made an unusual request in court, he asked for his Rs 750, confiscated during his arrest, to be returned.
During the court hearing, Kulkarni stated that Rs 900 was confiscated from him at the time of his arrest, but only Rs 750 was officially recorded.
'During the arrest, Rs 900 was confiscated from me, but only Rs 750 was shown on paper. Ok, leave Rs 150, but at least return my Rs 750," he told the court.
The presiding judge noted the request but reminded him that court directives forbid the return of any case property until further orders. Though Kulkarni is now free, he must wait for the official clearance to retrieve the amount, NDTV reported.
Kulkarni also asked for permission to raise nationalist slogans such as 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai" for three seconds, but the court declined, citing the need to maintain discipline in court proceedings.
About Malegaon Blast Case
Seventeen years after the Malegaon blast killed six people and injured more than 100, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, declaring a lack of 'reliable and cogent evidence."
The court sated, 'Terrorism has no religion" and warned against convictions based on perception alone.
Additionally, the court awarded compensation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act: Rs 2 lakh each to the six victims' families and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured 101 individuals. The father of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Farheen, decried the verdict as unacceptable and vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
The trial, initiated by the Maharashtra ATS in 2018 and later overseen by the NIA, involved testimony from 323 witnesses.
Thirty-seven turned hostile during proceedings. Special Judge AK Lahoti flagged serious shortcomings in the prosecution's case, noting that suspicion alone could not serve as proof. With these findings, the accused were granted the benefit of the doubt and released.
(With inputs from PTI)
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