Purohit asked to file fresh plea challenging UAPA charges

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday disposed of a criminal appeal filed by Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) SP Purohit, the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, questioning his prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka, however, granted liberty to Purohit to file a fresh and separate writ petition to challenge his prosecution under the antiterror law. The bench was seized with a criminal appeal filed by Purohit, challenging the orders of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court. The special court had dismissed his plea, wherein he had sought a stay on the trial in the case and had challenged the sanction accorded by the government to prosecute him under the provisions of UAPA. This application was filed before the special court after it framed charges against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi, under charges of a terror conspiracy, murder and other related offences.