Malegaon blast; NIA names four in charge sheet

Mumbai, May 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed its charge sheet against four men, accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case, before a Special MCOCA court, officials said.

The charge sheet, filed before Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court Judge Prithviraj Chavan has named Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh, Rajendra Choudhary and Manohar Narwaria, who were arrested during the past one year, said an NIA source.

They have been charged with murder, planning and conspiring and triggering the deadly blast during Friday afternoon 'namaaz' near Hamidiya Mosque.

Besides these four, the NIA probe continues against several other accused in the Sep 8, 2006, blast case which left 37 dead and more than 125 injured.

Soon after the blasts, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had nabbed nine Muslim youths from Malegaon as suspects in the blast.

They were: Noorul Huda Shamsud Doha, Shabbir Ahmed Massiullah, Raees Ahmed Rajjab Ali Mansuri, Salman Farsi Abdul Latif Aimi, Farokh Iqbal Ahmed Magdumi, Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh, Asif Bashir Khan, Mohammed Zahif Abdul Majeed Ansari and Abrar Ahmed (who later turned approver).

However, in 2011, after the role of a Hindu right-wing group in the terror strike came to the light with the arrest of Swami Aseemananda, the NIA investigations took a different course.

"All the nine accused (above) were granted bail after the Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra took up their case in the Special MCOCA Court. Special Judge Y.D. Shinde granted bail and the NIA did not oppose it," said JUM spokesperson and lawyer Shahid N. Ansari.

Interestingly, the probe by ATS had been taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which endorsed the ATS's findings until the NIA exposed the new dimension to the blast case and the probe.

After Wednesday's charge sheet, the NIA is likely to file a supplementary charge sheet in the near future, naming more accused in the case, Ansari said.

Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated powerloom town in Nashik district, around 300 km from here, was rocked by another terror strike on Sep 29, 2008. The blast killed six people and injured over 60 others.

It was allegedly perpetrated by Hindu right-wing activists, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and others.

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PM Modi condoles death of Tulsi Gowda, says she will remain guiding light for environment conservation

News Network

December 17,2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday condoled the death of environmentalist Tulsi Gowda and said she will remain a guiding light for environmental conservation.

In a post on X, he said, "Deeply saddened by the passing of Tulsi Gowda Ji, a revered environmentalist from Karnataka and Padma Awardee. She dedicated her life to nurturing nature, planting thousands of saplings, and conserving our environment."

"She will remain a guiding light for environmental conservation. Her work will continue to inspire generations to protect our planet. Condolences to her family and admirers. Om Shanti," he added.

Tulsi Gowda, the renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee known as the "Vruksha Maate" (Mother of Trees), passed away on Monday at her residence in Karnataka’s Honnali village, Ankola Taluk, Uttara Kannada district. She was 86 and had been suffering from age-related ailments.

Hailing from the Halakki tribal community, Tulsi Gowda dedicated over six decades of her life to environmental conservation, planting and nurturing thousands of trees in Ankola and its surroundings.

Her unparalleled knowledge of plants earned her the title "Encyclopaedia of Plants." She was credited with growing lakhs of saplings and was celebrated for her unique approach to nurturing them, ensuring their survival and growth.

Born in 1944 to a tribal family, Tulsi Gowda developed a deep connection with nature at a young age. She began working at a forest department nursery as a daily wage worker and eventually became a symbol of afforestation.

In 2021, Tulsi Gowda was honored with the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, in recognition of her immense contributions to afforestation and environmental conservation.

She received the award from former President Ram Nath Kovind, a moment that brought her years of silent work into the national spotlight. Additionally, Dharwad Agricultural University conferred upon her an honorary doctorate for her knowledge and contributions to the environment. She also received the Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra award and numerous other accolades throughout her lifetime.

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