MUMBAI: Seeking maximum sentence of death against the seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, the intervenor, father of one of the victims, submitted in the final arguments that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, reports Rebecca Samervel.
“Changes in the regime led to shifts in the approach of the prosecuting agencies, but the victims never lost hope or faith in the judiciary.The victims continue to trust the court and believe that this is a clear case for conviction. By convicting the accused, the court may send a strong message to the nation that there is no place for violence and terrorism in our society. During the prolonged trial, many people passed away while waiting for justice,” the document said. The case was initially investgated by the ATS. Subsequently, the NIA took charge.
The document also stated that while only civilian witnesses turned hostile, possibly under tremendous pressure, none of the police or panch witnesses did so, and they fully supported the prosecution’s case. It was also submitted that the fact that the NIA did not file a perjury application against the thirty-seven witnesses who turned hostile during the trial created serious doubt about the credibility of the country’s premier investigating agency.
In 62-page document, intervenor Nisar Sayyed Bilal, who lost his son Sayyed Azhar in the blast, said the court is empowered to take suo moto cognizance and may issue a notice of perjury to protect dignity of “judicial system and the fact-finding process”.
