Malegaon shocked by Supreme Court order that paves way for bail of blast accused

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court order that paves the way for Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Purohit to obtain bail has come as a shock to residents of Malegaon.

"What can I say, apart from that we are waiting for justice all these years. We are continuing to face injustice. We had hoped that with the real perpetrators arrested, we could get some closure, but obviously now we will have to wait for some while longer," said Noor-ul Huda a resident of Malegaon.

Noor-ul Huda was one of the nine accused who spent 6 years behind bars for the 2006 serial blasts in Malegaon that killed 37 and injured more than a 100. The Maharashtra ATS had arrested Huda and 8 other Muslims all hailing from Malegaon claiming they were involved in the Malegaon blasts. The six obtained bail when Aseemanand confessed to his role in the blasts.

The order has come as a dampener to even those who was injured in the blasts. Jaleel Ansari (name changed on request) who was one of the victims in the 2008 blasts said, "it was important for us that the culprits who did this were caught and exposed but then they should also be punished. If they go scot free then what was the use of catching them."