‘Ok, Forget Rs 150, But At Least Return My Rs 750’: Malegaon Blast Accused Appeals to Court
Sameer Kulkarni, one of the seven persons acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, made an unusual plea before the court — he requested the return of Rs 750 that had been seized from him during his arrest.
During the court proceedings, Kulkarni mentioned that a total of Rs 900 was taken from him at the time of his arrest, but only Rs 750 was officially recorded in the case documents.
“Rs 900 was seized from me during the arrest, but only Rs 750 has been documented. Alright, let the Rs 150 go, but at least return my Rs 750,” he appealed to the court.
The presiding judge took note of the request but reminded Kulkarni that current court directions prohibit the return of any case-related property until further orders are issued. Although Kulkarni has now been acquitted, he must await the official clearance before the amount can be returned, as reported by NDTV.
Kulkarni also sought permission to raise patriotic slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” for three seconds in court, but the court declined the request, stating the importance of maintaining decorum during judicial proceedings.
About the Malegaon Blast Case
Seventeen years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives and injured over 100 individuals, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, citing a lack of “reliable and convincing evidence.”
The court observed, “Terrorism has no religion,” and emphasised that convictions should not be based on mere perceptions.
The court also announced compensation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act: Rs 2 lakh for each of the six deceased victims’ families and Rs 50,000 for each of the 101 injured individuals. However, the father of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Farheen, called the verdict unacceptable and vowed to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
The trial, which initially began under the Maharashtra ATS in 2018 and was later taken over by the NIA, involved testimonies from 323 witnesses.
Out of these, 37 witnesses turned hostile during the trial. Special Judge AK Lahoti pointed out several major flaws in the prosecution’s case, stressing that mere suspicion could not replace concrete evidence. On these grounds, all accused were given the benefit of the doubt and subsequently acquitted.
