Six were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive went off near a mosque in Malegaon. (File)
The Bombay High Court today refused to stay framing of charges by the trial court against Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit and other accused people in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.
A bench of Justices SS Shinde and AS Gadkari, however, agreed to hear next month, a petition filed by Purohit, one of the seven accused in the case, challenging his prosecution under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
It directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) counsel Sandesh Patil to file a reply to Purohit's plea by November 21, the next date of hearing.
The bench refused Purohit's request for staying the proceedings in the trial court, noting that in the past, both the Supreme Court and the Bombay HC had passed orders directing the trial court to expedite the hearing in the case.
The trial court, the special NIA court in the present case, is scheduled to begin framing of charges against Purohit and other accused Tuesday.
Six people were killed and more than a 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a power loom town located in North Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008.