NIA not ready to file Malegaon terror case charge sheet at this stage

April 21, 2016

New Delhi, Apr 21: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought more time from a Mumbai court to file a charge sheet in the 2008 Malegaon blast case involving members of Abhinav Bharat, even as Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi refused to decide whether the agency should retain the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in the case.

Though the case was transferred to the NIA in 2011, it has still not filed a charge sheet owing to the delay in the probe and multiple petitions filed by the main accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, who have questioned the applicability of the MCOCA.

It is learnt that Mr. Rohatgi has only given a “verbal suggestion” to the agency and has not given any written reply. The NIA, through the Home Ministry, had written to Mr. Rohatgi, seeking its reply on dropping MCOCA charges against the 14 accused, including Lt. Col. Purohit and Thakur.

An NIA official said that even if MCOCA charges were dropped, the Sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were enough to prosecute the accused.

The NIA recently opposed the discharge of nine Muslim youths despite its charge sheet having named Abhinav Bharat, an extremist group.

The development comes on the heels of a series of moves by the NIA to review cases of “Hindu terror” between 2006 and 2008.

It could be recalled here that Rohini Salian, the then Special Public Prosecutor in the case related Malegaon terror attack carried out by Hindutva extremists during Ramadan, had revealed in 2015 that since the Narendra Modi government came to power, she had been under pressure from the NIA to go “soft” saffron terrorists involved in this case.

Also Read: Modi govt pressurizing me to go soft' on saffron terrorists: Rohini Salian

Comments

RSS killed hemant karkare to destroy evidences.

If Gujrat rioters can become the minister then this is nothing infront of them. Expecting justice from Jumla Government is an foolishness.

You know whose govt. is it....it can twist law to get these criminals out....

Shadhvi should be hanged for the crime she did. May God save my india from Saffron Terrorists.

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

Comments