Victims Malegaon blast protest transfer of judge as judgement nears
New Delhi: Victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast have raised strong objections to the transfer of Special Judge AK Lahoti, who has been presiding over the case since 2022.
The case is in its final stages, and a verdict is expected in the coming months. The victims, worried about further delays, are now seeking the intervention of the Bombay High Court to halt the judge’s transfer.
Judge Lahoti’s name was included in the list of 200 judicial transfers announced on Saturday by the Bombay High Court Registry. The timing of his transfer for the victims and their legal representatives is “devastating”.
“This is the fifth time a judge has been transferred in the Malegaon blast case in the last 17 years,” said Advocate Shahid Nadeem, who represents Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra, a group supporting the victims.
“Every time a new judge takes over, it takes months for him to get familiar with the case. At this stage, such a transfer is not just unhelpful — it’s unjust.”
The Malegaon blast case dates back to September 29, 2008, when a bomb exploded in the Muslim-majority town in Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring more than 100, almost all Muslims.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) initially investigated the case and attributed it to Hindu extremist groups, arresting several individuals, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit. She is currently out on bail.
Lawyers for the victims have already written to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, urging him to retain Judge Lahoti until the verdict is delivered.
