BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government will be providing two bodyguards to Jitendra Bhakroda, an Indore-based mechanic who is NIA’s key witness in the Malegaon blast case, for his court hearing.
Bhakroda had sought “heavy security cover” from the state police to appear before special NIA court judge P R Sitre in Mumbai.
His statement would be extremely significant as he could identify those who allegedly used to bring the motorcycle used in the blast to his garage for servicing. He will now be escorted by two armed security personnel from Indore to Mumbai and back home, said sources.
Listed as Witness No. 21, Bhakroda has been told to appear this week for his statements regarding the motorbike that was seized from the blast site. The prosecution alleges it was owned by Pragya Thakur, who is now the BJP Bhopal MP.
Six people were killed and over 100 injured after an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque at Malegaon in north Maharashtra on September 29, 2008. The prosecution says this bike had been taken for servicing to Bhakroda’s garage in Indore’s Saket Nagar, so he can identify the owner. While the court has warned to issue a warrant to compel his presence, Bhakroda had said he fears a “severe threat to his life”. He had sent an SMS to the Indore divisional commissioner, seeking protection. “I will be able to reach the court safely only if I am escorted by a team of MP police. I won’t trust NIA or ATS on this. Witness Dilip Patidar was picked up by ATS and was not seen thereafter. Five or six witnesses have been eliminated. My life is also in danger,” Bhakroda had told TOI in April this year. Patidar was picked up by a Maharashtra ATS team from Indore on November 10, 2008, two months after the Malegaon blasts. November 17, 2008, was the last time Patidar’s family heard from him, Bhakroda says. Patidar owned a property where a key Malegaon blast accused, Ramji Kalsangra, had spent some time, say police.
According to the prosecution, the bomb was fitted on a gold-coloured LML Freedom motorcycle, which was registered in Pragya’s name. According to one of the chargesheets, Pragya had provided the motorbike for the blast to Ramji Kalsangra, allegedly a close associate. Pragya is currently on bail after seeking exemption from the court on grounds of medical treatment. Twenty of the 245 witnesses examined so far have turned hostile. The other accused in the case are Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sameer Kulkarni. They are also out on bail.
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