Days after the Bombay High Court allowed Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi’s murder case, to convert her bail petition into an appeal, another relief is on her way as the NIA has finally accepted that police have arrested wrong people in connection with the case.
As per a report published in the Indian Express, according to the NIA probe, Joshi was killed by Lokesh Sharma and Rajender Pehalwan, both accused in the Samjhauta blasts case, for allegedly misbehaving with Thakur. The duo was reportedly helped by Dilip Jagtap and Jitender Sharma. All the four have been arrested.
Bombay HC allows Sadhvi Pragya to convert her bail petition into appeal
The sources said the agency is seeking the Home Ministry’s sanction to prosecute the four accused, after which a chargesheet will be filed. The agency is also examining the CFSL report on the murder weapon, the report further said.
Sadhvi Pragya had earlier sought bail on the ground that she is suffering from spondylitis and other ailments for which hospitalisation is needed.
Thakur had earlier filed a bail petition, which was heard by a single judge and order was to be pronounced.
But in the meanwhile Supreme Court held that all the matters arising out of investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA) should be treated by the High Courts as appeals and should be heard by a division bench.
The Supreme Court gave this ruling on NIA’s plea challenging two bail orders — one by Bombay High Court and another by Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Sadhvi Pragya denied bail, allowed to attend father’s funeral
Supreme Court, on September 13, said in all the matters in which bail is granted or rejected by a Special NIA Court, the aggrieved party can challenge it the form of a Criminal Appeal. Accordingly, division bench headed by Justice PV Hardas on December 11 allowed Thakur to amend her petition.