Malegaon Blast Case: Special NIA Court Drops MCOCA Against Sadhvi Pragya, Lt Col Purohit
Source - Indian Express�| Image�courtesy - The Hindu
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The special NIA court on Thursday dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Sameer Kulkarni, Ramesh Upadhyay and Sudhakar Dwivedi in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. The Next hearing will be on January 15. A special National Investigation Agency Court in Mumbai is hearing the case.

The Court on Monday has rejected the discharge bail plea of Colonel Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, Sameer Kulkarni, Ramesh Upadhyay and Sudhakar Dwivedi. Charges will be also framed under UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act), reports Times of India. The investigation team had found that Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya plotted the crime. It was in April this year that the Bombay High Court has granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya and four months later, Supreme Court granted bail to Lt Colonel Purohit.

The incident took place on September 28, 2008, when 6 people died and nearly 100 people were injured when a motorcycle bomb exploded in Malegaon, Nashik.

What is MCOCA?

Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act(MCOCA) was launched in 1999 to combat terrorism and organized crime with stringent and deterrent provisions. Since organized crime has become a serious threat to the society, MCCOCA can be considered as a need of the day. Crimes like Committing offence of organized crime which results to death, Being a member of organized crime, Aiding or knowingly facilitating the commission of the organized crime or helping in the preparation of such acts, passing and publishing of information or documents which is helping in the commission of an organized crime, giving shelter or concealing any member of organized crime, holding or looking after any property derived or obtained from commission of organized crime or property in possession on behalf of organized crime come under MCOCA.

What is UAPA?

UAPA Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is a law framed in India in order to prevent unlawful activities In India. Its main objective is to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India. UAPA was enacted on December 30, 1967.

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