Special court refuses bail to accused in 2012 Pune blasts case

MUMBAI: A special court on Friday rejected the bail application of an accused involved in the 2012 Pune bombings. The accused, Farooq Shaukat Bagwan, had forged documents that were used to buy the SIM cards used in the blasts’ case. Bagwan had moved the bail plea through advocate Sharif Shaikh claiming that he was falsely implicated and that he had already spent eight years in jail while the trial is still at the stage of framing of charges and a large number of witnesses are yet to be examined. He also claimed the prosecution failed to prove the conspiracy.

Bagwan’s laptop and computer were seized but the forensic laboratory has not found any forged documents on it.

Shaikh had submitted that the material available on record was not sufficient to prima facie establish guilt of the accused. He also argued that the prosecution had failed to establish conspiracy theory that the documents forged by him and the SIM cards obtained using the same were to be used for illegal acts.

Vaibhav Bagade, for the antiterrorism squad (ATS), opposed the plea.

Special judge Dinesh E Kothalikar on Friday rejected Bagwan’s plea observing that the applicant has failed to make out a case for bail.

The court further said there was delay in trial as some accused are lodged in Tihar Jail and the trial against them was going on before a court in New Delhi.

The judge said prima facie, a case of conspiracy was made out from the available material.

The accused had conspired to do illegal acts and strike terror with the intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India by using fire arms and to exploit the communal sentiments of impressionable youths and to provoke them in the name of Jihad in order to resort to terrorist acts.

The serial blasts took place at several places in Pune including Jangali Maharaj Road near Balgandharva Rang Mandir and five other places. The accused was arrested in Pune on December 26, 2012.