NIA to indict Sanatan in Sessions Court

MARGAO, MAY 10
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) will invoke the provisions of the Act constituting the Agency to file its indictment in the Margao bomb blast case in the absence of a special court to try the sensational case.
Sources in the know said the provision in the NIA Act empowers the investigating agency to file the indictment in the Sessions Court if there’s a delay in constituting a special court mandated by the Act.
The NIA is weighing this option as the notification constituting a special court to try the Margao bomb blast case is yet to be issued till date, even as the 180 days custody of the four accused persons in the case ends by around May 17-18.
Sources in the NIA said the indictment against the four accused persons would be filed well before the expiry of the 180 days custody of the accused.
On Monday, NIA sleuths and special public prosecutor S B Faria were giving final touches to the indictment before being presented to the Court of Sessions.
When contacted, Faria said that the NIA can invoke the provisions of the Act guiding the functioning of the Agency, which provides for filing of the indictment in the Sessions Court for want of a special court.
The NIA came into sharp focus last week after two of the accused in the case — Vinayak Patil and Vinay Talekar — got bail in the Sancoale case after the central agency failed to file the indictment within 180 days.
The duo along with the accused from Ratnagiri Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar are still in custody in connection with the Margao blast case. The 180 day period of detention of the accused is likely to expire later this week, sources said.