In a recent development, Special NIA Court Judge A.K. Lahoti, who has been presiding over the 2008 Malegaon blast trial, has been transferred to Nashik as part of the Bombay High Court’s annual general transfer of district judges. This transfer comes at a crucial stage when the trial, pending for over 16 years, is nearing its conclusion, raising concerns about possible delays in the delivery of justice.
Judge Lahoti has been handling the case since June 2022 and is the fifth judge to oversee this high-profile trial. The latest transfer list issued on April 5 includes 222 judges, who are expected to finish judgments in cases where hearings have concluded or try to dispose of part-heard matters. As per the notification, the transferred judges are to assume their new postings on June 9, after the court’s summer vacation.
The trial pertains to the 2008 Malegaon blast that killed six people and injured more than 100. Among the seven accused are BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, who are facing trial for their alleged roles in the bombing.
Lawyer Shahid Nadeem, representing the intervener Nisar Ahmed Haji Sayyed Bilal—whose son died in the blast—has expressed strong apprehensions about the timing of the transfer. He pointed out that final arguments were in progress and expected to be concluded by April 15, with the judgment likely to be reserved soon after. A new judge, he said, would have to go through the voluminous charge sheet and thousands of pages of evidence, potentially delaying the verdict.
In March, Bilal and other victims had written to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court requesting Judge Lahoti be retained until the trial concludes. “We the victims apprehend that any change in the Presiding Officer may cause an unavoidable delay in the trial,” the letter had stated.
Victims are now reportedly considering legal avenues to ensure continuity in the trial, given its long and complex history and the sensitivity of the matter.
