Margao blast: charges ordered against two more
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, FEB 21
The South Goa Sessions Court on Monday ordered framing of charges against two more accused Prashant Ashtekar and Prashant Juvekar in the Margao bomb blast case.
Sessions Judge U V Bakre ordered that charges be framed against Ashtekar and Juvekar for waging war against the state and offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Substances Act and criminal conspiracy.
The court has also ordered framing of additional charge of forgery against accused Vinayak Patil.
With today’s order, the trial court has ordered framing of charges against two accused, while four accused Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar are already undergoing trial in the case. While two of the accused Mangonda Patil and Yogesh Naik have died in the bomb blast, three other accused persons Jai Prakash alias Ana, Rudra Patil and Sarang Kulkarni are still at large.
The NIA has charged the 11 accused persons, including the two deceased, Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik, for preparing the Improvised Explosive Devises and conducting test blasts at Talaulim-Ponda, followed by another test blast at Jath Sangli in Maharashtra.
The NIA has pointed in the charge sheet that accused Malgonda Patil, Dhananjay Ashtekar and Jai Prakash brought explosive materials like gelatin sticks and detonators and other accessories like Printed Circuit Boards, transistors, batteries, wires etc for manufacturing the IEDs from difference sources. The IEDs were assembled at the residence of Laxmikant Naik, the elder brother of accused Yogesh at Talaulim-Ponda and also discussed about the actions to be taken against the government, organizers and participants and viewers of Narkasur competitions on grounds such competitions are against Hindu religion and practices.
In pursuance of the conspiracy, the accused formed two groups, one comprising of deceased Malgonda Patil and deceased accused Yogesh Naik to plant the IEDs at the narkasur competition at Margao and the second group consisting of Vinay Talekar and Vinayak Patil for planting the IEDs in a mini-lorry at Shanthadurga Temple, Sancoale.
Meanwhile, the South Goa Sessions court on Thursday examined three witnesses in support of the prosecution case.
